


The Red Queen Chronicles: The Secret

by MarvelMaster616



Category: Spider-Man (Comicverse), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-07-18 10:12:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 45,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16116272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarvelMaster616/pseuds/MarvelMaster616
Summary: Sequel to "The New Red Queen." As Peter Parker's life is looking up, a mysterious woman claiming to know him shows up. Her name is Cindy Moon and she's on the run from a familiar foe, Ezekiel Sims. With their fates at stake, they seek help from the Red Queen to end an old threat once and for all.





	1. Chapter 1

** The Red Queen Chronicles: The Secret  
Chapter 1: Escape and Reunion **

* * *

**AN: This story is based off my “The New Red Queen” series. Mary Jane Watson is the Red Queen and general manager of the Hellfire Club. Emma Frost is the White Queen. Jean Grey is the Black Queen and Cyclops is the Black King. Peter Parker is Spider-Man and romantically involved with Mary Jane. In terms of the overall timeline, this takes place after the events of “The Red Queen Chronicles: The Lost Son.”**

 

**Also, this story also brings Cindy “Silk” Moon into the mix. However, I’ll be tweaking some elements of her origin. Like I did with Mary Jane, some parts of her history are the same, but others are different and that will impact her character to some degree. You’ll see how as the story plays out.**

_‘These mean character thoughts or psychic communication.’_

**Disclaimer: I don’t own Spider-Man, Mary Jane, the X-men, SHIELD, Cindy Moon, or Marvel and I am making no money off this. They are the property of Stan Lee, Marvel, and Disney. Please don’t sue.**

**This fic contains graphic sexual content. If that offends you, please don’t read this story. As always, I urge everyone to leave a review. Send me your feedback via email at** [ **MarvelMaster616@hotmail.com** ](mailto:MarvelMaster616@hotmail.com) **or post a review. Also, to those who have supported this series and provided so many sexy ideas, I sincerely thank you. You know who you are. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Horizon Labs – Peter Parker’s New Office**

“It’s official! Things are really looking up for me,” said Peter Parker proudly, “and for once, I’m not afraid of jinxing it.”

Those words sounded so strange coming out of his mouth. Then again, he had been getting used to them more and more lately. Ever since that fateful night he met Mary Jane Watson, who also happened to be a high-end prostitute at the time, his life had taken some amazing turns.

It wasn’t just restricted to having a smoking hot girlfriend with a high sex drive and kinky tastes. His life as both Peter Parker and Spider-Man had improved significantly, both with his personal life and his professional life. A big part of that improvement included a new job that promised to turn into a full-fledged career.

“Peter Parker, Director of Research and Development,” he said as he read over his new business card. “I like the sound of that. Sounds much more respectable than Photographer and occasional scapegoat for J. Jonah Jameson.”

In the comfortable setting of his new office, Peter soaked in the moment. Today marked the end of his first week at Horizon Labs, an up-and-coming tech company that had been making waves since Oscorp collapsed. For Peter, it was a dream job, working in a science lab and actually getting paid for the kind of work he’d been good at _before_ he got superpowers.

In fact, he’d be getting paid a lot, much more than a freelance photographer. With his new salary, he could afford to live comfortably in New York City, take better care of his Aunt May, and still support his patrols as Spider-Man. Some of the work he did with Horizon might even do more good on top of his heroic exploits. It was a win-win on so many levels that Peter had a hard time believing it was real.

“Where should I set these, Mr. Parker?” asked Jonathan Lee, a young intern who had been helping him set up his office.

“Just leave it in the corner, Jon,” said Peter. “I’ll unpack it later.”

“Are you sure? It’s pretty heavy.”

“I can handle it. Don’t worry,” he assured the young man.

The young man nodded and set the heavy boxes up in the corner, using a dolly to move them. After stacking them next to a pile of other assorted boxes, he waved goodbye and left. The idea that people would be assisting him for once was still a new feeling, but one Peter could certainly get used to.

Not long ago, such an opportunity would’ve been too good to be true. Thanks to Mary Jane, good things had become a lot more common and not just in terms of how much sex he got. As Red Queen of the Hellfire Club, she’d gained quite a bit of influence and not just because a lot of people wanted to see her naked. By working closely with Emma Frost, developing contacts with SHIELD, and secretly supporting the superhero community, she had achieved quite a bit of power and remained intent on using it responsibly.

One way she exercised that power involved channeling the resources of the bad guys into more noble pursuits. After Oscorp collapsed, she worked with Emma Frost’s company to invest in other tech companies with less evil agendas. Horizon Labs had been a rising star, one that Emma helped fund after she took down Sebastian Shaw’s companies. It had been fairly low-profile, though, thanks to companies like Oscorp and Roxxon. With them out of the way, it finally had room to grow.

Horizon was basically everything Oscorp was not, run by an idealistic tech guy named Max Modell. Some called him a less eccentric version of Tony Stark, one who actually knew how to run a business. That was the biggest selling point for Peter. He’d actually applied for a job before he met Mary Jane, but they didn’t have any openings. With their recent expansions, though, they needed qualified science people and he fit the bill.

_‘My own office, my own business cards, and steady salary that doesn’t require overpriced cameras. This is good…for me and for Spider-Man. I’m really moving up in the world and I didn’t have to resort to Norman Osborn-level tactics to do it. Uncle Ben would be proud.’_

That feeling was extra satisfying as he placed a couple of framed pictures on his desk. One was an older photo of him, his Aunt May, and Uncle Ben when he was just a science nerd in grade school. In it, he looked so timid and uncertain. He had to grow up more than most and Uncle Ben played a major role in helping him every step of the way.

Then, he posted a picture of Mary Jane next to him. It was a simple photo, one that had her fully clothed and wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans. It still looked sexy as hell on her. The smile on her face made him smile too. She was a big reason why he had been able to grow so much lately. She was even partially responsible for getting him the job. She didn’t have to sleep with anyone – although, she did offer to at one point – but she helped him get an interview with Max, who hired him on the spot.

After signing on, he’d spent a week helping Max set up shop in a new lab complex not far from Empire State University. It had once been the site of an old Shaw Industries building, which gave Emma Frost and Mary Jane even more reasons to fund its demolition and redevelopment. The facility was almost up and running, his office being on a high floor for easy access via web-slinging. Some parts of the lab were already active and he intended to get to work soon.

First, he still had some unpacking to do. He was about to open the boxes that Jon had just delivered when he heard a knock at his door.

“Come in,” Peter said casually after setting Mary Jane’s picture aside.

The door opened and a young Asian woman who looked about his age entered. He didn’t recognize her, nor did he recall seeing her that morning during a meeting with the new employees. He sensed she was anxious. The fact she wore clothes that looked out-of-place for an office only added to that sentiment.

“Can I help you?” he asked her. “Are you here about the vending machines? Because I already told Max that _nobody_ should pay more than a dollar for a can of soda.”

“Um…are you Peter Benjamin Parker?” she asked. “The same Peter who grew up in Queens, went to Midtown High School, and worked as a freelance Photographer for the Daily Bugle?

Peter was taken aback, somewhat. In his experience, people who knew _that_ much about him after just meeting him was an ominous sign. His gaze narrowed on the woman, but kept his distance, remaining behind his desk and on alert, ready to use his spider-like agility at a moment’s notice.

“Yeah, that would be me,” he said, “although nobody has called me by my middle name since Kindergarten.”

“I’m sorry about that. Believe me, I don’t mean to creep you out, but I had to be sure,” she said, sounding every bit as awkward as him.

“Well, unless there’s another guy with that exact name who worked under J. Jonah Jameson for that long, I _am_ the Peter you’re looking for. No need for the Jedi mind trick.”

“Star Wars references? Okay, you’re _definitely_ the right Peter.”

The woman smiled, which put some of Peter’s concerns at ease. She remained very anxious though, looking around as though ninjas might attack at any minute. Having fought the Hand on more than one occasion, that wasn’t an unreasonable concern in New York.

She then closed the door behind her and approached him. As she came closer, Peter felt something unexpected. At first, it felt like his spider sense going off. However, it wasn’t going off like it usually did when danger was near. Rather than an alarm going off in his head, it was like an antenna receiving a strange message that he’d never sensed before in all the years since he got his powers.

“My name is Cindy Moon,” she said, now standing in the center of his office. “You probably don’t remember me, but we went to the same high school.”

“Midtown High? Well, if you didn’t give me a wedgie or shove me into a locker, then chances are we didn’t interact much.”

“We didn’t. In fact, this is the first time we’ve ever talked,” she said. “Not to creep you out or anything, but we _kind of_ know each other.”

“What do you mean by kind of?” asked Peter suspiciously.

“I’d…rather not say it out loud. I’d rather let certain _instincts_ do the talking.”

Peter was still suspicious, but nothing about Cindy came off as threatening. In fact, the more he looked at her, the more he sensed that he did know her to some extent. He remembered sharing a class with some Korean girl who played field hockey and talked about Pokémon video games, but he never got her name or talked to her much.

As she walked up to him, though, that buzzing in his head grew more intense. It still felt like it was coming from his spider sense, but it didn’t evoke the same survival instinct that usually protected him in battle. Instead, it triggered a different set of instincts…a much more _sexual_ set of instincts.

_‘My spider sense…it’s never done that before. This girl I think I know, but know I don’t know…she’s doing something to me. And I sense she senses it too.’_

Upon reaching his desk, Cindy leaned over so that her face was only a few inches from his. It sent his spider sense into overdrive, among other things. His heart rate jumped, his breathing became ragged, and his pants became tight as his dick began to stiffen under her gaze. In her, he saw a similar reaction.

He’d been around Mary Jane long enough to recognize the look of a horny woman. However, in Cindy, he saw a unique kind of arousal…one that went beyond attraction, lust, or even affection. It was pure instinct, like unseen forces of nature were calling out to them and urging them to fuck. Much like the danger his spider sense often detected, it wasn’t something he could ignore.

“Just as I thought,” said Cindy. “It’s more _intense_ than I expected.”

“I’m not sure what you’re referring to, Ms. Moon,” said Peter, “but I have a vague idea.”

“Then, let me save you the trouble of finding the words. Since time might be a factor, we’ll need to skip a couple steps.”

Then, in an act that perfectly complemented his growing instincts, Cindy leaned across his desk and kissed him hard on the lips. It wasn’t a soft, subtle kiss either. It was very much a hard, direct gesture that sent a clear message. They were going to have sex. They had an instinctual desire and they were going to feed it.

Peter didn’t resist. For reasons he didn’t understand, kissing Cindy Moon felt right, if not necessary. As he struggled to process what was happening, Cindy already seemed aware of the implications. Their lips still entwined, she crawled up on the desk, moving aside his pictures and papers. She then went to work unbuttoning his dress-shirt, demonstrating near-superhuman dexterity…another sign that there was plenty more to her than even his spider sense could detect.

After the last button was undone, Cindy promptly removed his shirt and threw it across the room. She then abruptly ended the kiss, locked her eyes with his, and removed her shirt, revealing in the process that she hadn’t been wearing a bra.

“Looks like you’ve skipped several other steps, as well,” Peter commented upon getting his first glimpse of her breasts.

“Which means you better get those pants off _real_ fast,” Cindy said impatiently.

She kissed him again, also pawing his chest and pressing her breasts up against his. He immediately felt her erect nipples on his skin, hinting the extent of her arousal. Her arousal seemed to fuel his, as well, triggering an even stronger reaction with his spider sense. It overshadowed any inclination he might have had to make sense of what was happening. At that moment, all he wanted to do was fuck Cindy Moon.

As she hungrily kissed and caressed him, Peter undid his belt buckle and pulled down his pants. He made sure to remove his boxers as well, letting his growing erection pop free. Almost immediately, Cindy reached for it, grabbing it with one hand while latching onto his neck with another to draw him in closer.

“I’m so wet,” she told him breathlessly. “Please…I need your cock.”

“I need your pussy too,” Peter replied.

He usually had more colorful commentary during sexual moments. It was one of the many ways he spiced things up with Mary Jane. However, he had no such inclination. His spider sense just kept urging him to fuck the woman before him.

Heeding that urge, he grabbed Cindy by the hips and pulled her across the desk so that her legs hung over the edge. He then used his spider strength to elevate her slightly so he could remove her tattered jeans. In doing so, he found out that she hadn’t been wearing panties. Either she had a strange aversion to underwear or she’d come to his office expecting to get naked at some point.

“Wow,” said Peter as he took in her naked body. “You really are wet.”

“Less talking…more fucking,” said Cindy impatiently.

She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, showing some unexpected strength in the process. Peter hadn’t even stepped out of his pants or shoes yet, but there was no time. Cindy wanted sex. He wanted it too. Like a reflex that had already gone into motion, there was no stopping them. They were going to do it on his new desk.

Cindy skipped any further foreplay. Still holding onto his neck, she hooked her legs around his waist and drew him deeper into her intimate grasp. Peter got the message loud and clear. She wasn’t looking for affection. She was looking for sex.

His dick already fully erect, he guided his rigid flesh towards her pussy. As soon as he felt the tip brush against her moist folds, Peter thrust his hips forward and drove his dick into her. Cindy immediately let out a sharp gasp. Her inner folds were so hot and tight, surrounding his flesh in a blissful vice. She was so aroused and he was so hard. It was as though their bodies instinctively knew how to accommodate one another.

He didn’t take much time to savor it, though. As soon as he felt that hot tightness around his cock, Peter began moving his hips. Within moments, he was fucking Cindy good and hard, rocking the desk and her nicely-shaped breasts in the process.

“Yes!” she said as she clung to his neck. “This…is what I needed…what I hoped to feel.”

“Cindy…” was all Peter could get out, still confused, but too immersed in the feeling.

A steady succession of grunts and moans followed. Armed with the intimate skills he’d learned from many passionate nights with Mary Jane, Peter pumped his cock into Cindy’s eager pussy. Every time he thrust into her, he felt her tense her inner muscles, creating extra tightness and evoking extra pleasure.

Beyond the ecstasy, though, the buzzing in his head intensified. As he gazed at Cindy, he saw that same intensely-focused look that he saw whenever his spider sense went off. He was so aware of everything around him, as though time went in slow-motion while his every reflex felt heightened. Peter was so used to experiencing it during moments of danger, but not sex. However, the feeling was already growing on him.

Cindy, who seemed much less confused by what was going on, dug her nails deeper into his neck and kissed down his face. The way she nibbled around his ear-lobe, something really enjoyed his lovers doing during sex, hinted that she had some sort of strange insight…that she was somehow connected to him and not just sexually.

_‘She knows how I like to be teased. She knows how I like to fuck, as well. Who the hell is this woman? And why the hell do I feel so drawn to her?’_

Peter had a lot of questions, but little capacity to answer them. His primary focus was to just fuck Cindy Moon.

She seemed to share that intent, digging the balls of her feet into his lower back and rocking her hips in accord with each thrust. Peter shifted his grip to her butt, lifting her up off the table slightly so he could thrust into her at just the right angle. He was getting close and he wasn’t going to draw it out.

“Getting…close,” Peter grunted, the desk rocking harder with every thrust.

“Me too, Peter,” Cindy moaned. “The connection…I feel it too.”

He wasn’t sure what connection she meant, but Peter didn’t much care. He was ready to climax and every instinct in his body urged him to do so.

With Cindy still clinging to him, her pussy tensing mercilessly around his cock with every thrust, Peter delivered a few more thrusts before he went over the edge. At that moment, he set Cindy down on the desk again, her butt right on the polished wood, and squeezed her hips as he released a thick load of cum into her pussy.

As he let out a blissful grunt, Cindy climaxed as well. In fact, she climaxed so quickly after him that it was as though his orgasm were connected to hers. He felt it in the way she arched back, closed her eyes, and curled her toes under the weight of the pleasure. The way her pussy throbbed around his cock left no doubt. They had climaxed simultaneously, albeit not in the way he was used to with Mary Jane.

“The connection,” Peter found himself saying.

“Yeah…it’s as strong as I’d hoped,” Cindy said breathlessly.

Her body still shuddering from her orgasmic release, Cindy pulled Peter into another hard kiss. Whatever connection they had was more apparent with each passing second. Whether it was sexual or something deeper, something linked him to Cindy Moon and it grew with each passing moment.

After Cindy finished climaxing, their lips parted, but their naked bodies remained entwined. She still had a look of raw lust in her eyes. Peter, his spider sense still buzzing and his desires still strong, felt it too. As intense and direct as the feeling was, it only offered a taste of their connection and he already wanted more.

“That was good…real good,” said Cindy.

“Yeah…good,” said Peter in a daze.

“But why stop at good?” she teased. “Why don’t we put that strength to the test?”

Before Peter could ask for specifics, Cindy sprang into action, once again showing reflexes that seemed much faster normal, even for a very horny woman. Still standing behind his desk, his pants still around his ankles, the young Asian woman broke their embrace and pulled away from him.

Then, showing an agility even _more_ impressive than her reflexes, Cindy flipped herself over so that her pussy was aligned with his face and his dick was aligned with hers. Peter, once again driven by a mix of instincts and lust, grabbed her by the waist and held her upside down so that they were essentially in an upright 69 position. Before he could even compliment her on her impressive acrobatics, she’d already grasped his dick with both hands.

“I’ll suck your dick. You eat my pussy,” Cindy said, as though they were exchanging snacks. “That sound fair?”

“Yeah…totally fair,” Peter said.

Never one to argue with perfect logic, he buried his face in Cindy’s pussy. She was still very aroused, her folds dripping with a mix of his cum and her feminine juices. She craved more sex every bit as much as he did and every basic desire urged him to give it to her.

As Peter went to work on her pussy, Cindy began sucking his cock. There was no hesitation, whatsoever. She immediately took in most of his length and began working her tongue along his shaft, paying special attention to his more sensitive areas. In no time at all, they established a perfect circle of oral sex. As he probed her folds with his tongue, she worked his cock in her mouth, getting it hard again with ease.

Cindy seemed oddly comfortable doing it upside down, as though it was a normal thing for her. Peter remembered how much trouble he’d had with Mary Jane when trying something similar. Even kissing upside down was a struggle for her. Peter suspected it had something to do with his Spider-Man powers, which made being upside down less disorienting. The fact that Cindy didn’t seem the least bit disoriented was intriguing, not to mention revealing.

_‘She’s strong too…not to mention agile. I’ve seen plenty of strong, agile women and slept with a few. This, though…I wonder.’_

Even in a state of determined lust, Peter’s mind began making connections. He wasn’t ready to jump to conclusions just yet. There were still more pressing desires before him.

He and Cindy kept giving each other simultaneous oral sex, holding her upside down and letting out a steady succession of muffled moans. Through shared lust and whatever other mysterious forces had drawn them together, Peter got fully aroused once more. His dick soon throbbed between Cindy’s lips, making it harder for her to take all of it in. He also felt a fresh round of feminine juices cover her pussy, hinting she was ready for more sex.

“Peter…I’m ready,” said Cindy after giving his dick one last lick.

“Me too,” said Peter intently.

He released her from his grasp. Then, through more superhuman reflexes, she landed on her feet again and turned around so that she faced away from him. Still guided by intense lust and the strong buzzing in his head, Peter finally stepped out of his pants so he could position himself behind her.

In just a few seconds, Cindy stood bent over his desk, holding onto the side with her perfectly round ass pointed at him. Peter, after kicking his pants to the side, grabbed onto her waist and aligned his cock with her pussy. Once ready, he thrust his hips forward and drove his hardened manhood into her hot depths.

“Ooh yeah!” Cindy moaned. “Harder this time, Peter! Do it _harder_!”

“I know what you want,” Peter said to her. “I don’t know how I know. I just…know.”

It made even less sense when he said it out loud, but that didn’t stop him from doing as she asked. With both feet now planted firmly on the floor, Peter rhythmically pounded his cock into her pussy. The wet smacking sounds of his pelvis colliding with her butt soon filled his office. A part of him worried that someone might hear, but he was too horny to concern himself.

Just like before, he fucked Cindy at a rapid, heated pace. He shifted his hands to her hips, clinging hard to her naked flesh for maximum leverage. With each thrust, she bucked her hips and tensed her inner muscles, adding extra heat to every motion. She also maintained a tight hold on the desk, rocking it hard with every movement.

There was little intimacy or affection. It was just sex in its rawest form, driven only by lust and the pursuit of pleasure. The sound of their flesh colliding echoed along with a steady stream of grunts and moans. The pace was more rapid, more so than Peter usually dared with Mary Jane or any of the other women he slept with. That was usually a precaution out of concern he might employ too much of his powers. However, Cindy was able to keep up, more so than any ordinary woman should have.

“Harder! Fuck me harder!” Cindy urged him.

“But…” Peter began, only to get cut off.

“I can take it!” she assured him. “Just…fuck me.”

Cindy said those crass words with such purpose, as though there was a greater agenda at work. Whatever it might have been, Peter opted to go with it.

Adjusting his stance a bit, he bent Cindy over a bit more and fucked her with more vigor. He really put his legs into it, rocking her body and the desk. She went with it too, her breasts now pressed up against the wood as she kept holding onto the edges.

Harder and faster, he pumped his cock into her pussy and she kept tensing her inner muscles with each thrust. That got him to the brink of orgasm with an efficiency that he rarely experienced outside his and Mary Jane’s hottest sex acts. If that was Cindy’s way of proving a larger point, then it was a hell of a way to make it.

“I’m…close again,” Peter grunted. “Just a little bit…ohhh fuck!”

As the feeling drew closer, he steadied the pace of his thrusting, clinging harder to her hips as he delivered the final round of motions. As soon as he entered that special domain, Peter closed his eyes and let out a deep grunt as he pushed his cock into the deepest recesses of her pussy and released another load of cum.

“Yes!” Cindy moaned. “I feel it too, Peter…just as I’d hoped.”

Just as before, she climaxed shortly after him. Her pussy contracted hard around his dick, coating it with her juices and taking in his manly fluids. It was so hot and tight, as though their bodies were in perfect synch.

Also like before, his orgasm was accompanied by another sharp buzzing in his head. Time slowed and his awareness expanded. Somehow, Cindy managed to keep up with him, her reflexes matching his when her their bodies shuddered from their sexual release. It shouldn’t have been possible, given what he understood about his powers and abilities. What he just experienced, though, left little room for doubt.

“You…felt that too,” Cindy said breathlessly, their flesh still entwined.

“Felt what?” asked Peter, still panting as well.

“You know what I mean, Peter.”

She sounded amused by his confusion. Peter still had questions, but found himself laughing none-the-less. Whatever just happened, he didn’t get the sense that it was dangerous. He also got the impression that Cindy was someone he could trust and not just because he just had sex with her.

As the implications set in, Peter withdrew his dick from Cindy’s pussy. He then let out a content sigh as he sat back in his desk chair, his legs still hot from his release. As he caught his breath, Cindy let out an equally-content sigh and rose up off the desk. Still naked, she leaned back on his desk and narrowed her gaze on him. She still had a strange grin on her face, like someone who’d just reunited with a long-lost friend or relative. Even though she was still a stranger by most measured, Peter already felt as though he knew her intimately and not just in a sexual sense.

“So…” Peter said, trying not to sound too goofy.

“So indeed,” Cindy replied, sounding just as bemused. “For both our sake, try not to make sense of it…not yet, anyways.”

“That won’t be too hard,” he said. “Believe it or not, this is _not_ the first time a beautiful woman asked me to fuck her on an office desk.”

“No need to brag, Peter. I _do_ believe you. I know all about your sexual adventures. You’ve had quite an active social life lately.”

“It’s a _little_ disconcerting that you know all that,” said Peter.

“I know,” Cindy said, “and I totally understand. I promise to be just as transparent with you. I’ll tell you _anything_ …my first kiss, the first time I had sex, and even the time I got caught masturbating in the shower by my brother.”

“You…don’t have to be _that_ transparent.”

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes. I _really_ need you to trust me, Peter. You’re probably the only person on this planet who can help me.”

“Why is that? What’s so special about me?”

Cindy just laughed and so did he. Considering the life he lived, the job he had, and the people he’d encountered, even Peter couldn’t keep a straight face when he said that out loud. He still had to at least pretend he didn’t live a life that included superpowers, masked vigilantes, and dating a former prostitute. He must have done a lousy job because Cindy didn’t buy it.

“Peter, you’re smart enough to get a job at Horizon Labs. You should be smart enough to know the _many_ answers to that question,” Cindy said, shaking her head in amusement. “I’m trying to be careful with what I tell you because I don’t want this to be more awkward than it needs to be.”

“Cindy, we’re both naked and we just had sex. I think we’re _way_ past that point,” said Peter.

“Famous last words,” she said. “Maybe this will help.”

Cindy, still sitting on his desk, turned towards the corner of his office where his discarded pants had landed. She then pointed her finger at it and, in an act that jolted Peter from the post-coital afterglow, fired a stream of webbing from her fingertips. Along with that all-too-familiar “thwisp,” the webbing attached to his pants, allowing Cindy to retrieve it with ease.

For a moment, Peter sat in stunned silence. His gaze kept shifting between the webbing and Cindy, who was smiling so awkwardly that it would’ve been hilarious if the implications weren’t so serious. His mind was already racing with possibilities.

This woman had spider powers. It answered a few burning questions, namely how she affected his spider sense and why her reflexes had been so refined during their sex. However, it also posed a whole host of distressing questions that probably had equally distressing answers.

“Before you start panicking, let me fill in some blanks,” Cindy said before Peter could freak out. “Yes, I have powers like you. Yes, I know you’re Spider-Man. No, I’m not going to tell anyone. And yes, I _really_ need your help. When you find out who’s involved…well, I think you’re going to want to be fully clothed for this.”

* * *

**Years Ago – Midtown High Field Trip**

“Ow! The hell?” exclaimed Cindy Moon upon feeling a sharp sting on her ankle.

The anxiously teen instinctively bent down and slapped her ankle, only to see a spider jump off and scurry under a nearby table. She immediately shuddered. Cindy hated spiders. She didn’t consider herself a full-fledged arachnophobe, but they creeped her out and getting bit by one was not how she’d hoped to spend her day.

“That…stung more than usual,” she said. “I thought science labs were supposed to be clean.”

She kept scrutinizing the bite area. She picked a lousy day to wear sandals. Near as she could tell, it was no worse than a bee sting. She saw a reddish bump form and groaned. _That_ was going to be unsightly for a while, but at least she could wear socks to cover it.

Cindy tried not to feel too concerned. Spider bites were very low on the list of things she had to worry about lately. Between school, field hockey, and having her first boyfriend, she had a lot going on. Going on a field trip to a science lab at Midtown High was supposed to be a reprieve. It gave her a break from spending half the day in class trying to maintain her perfect grade-point average or worrying about the last clash she had with her little brother, Albert. Cindy preferred to enjoy her breaks, as she got to enjoy so few.

She had already wandered off from the group, as she often did when she had a lot on her mind. She’d just introduced Hector to her family and she wasn’t sure whether it had gone well. Cindy didn’t get the impression that her parents hated him, but she didn’t get the impression they were taking their relationship seriously. Hector, to his credit, didn’t make it more awkward than it had to be, but there was plenty of room for improvement.

“Hey Cindy!” one of her classmates called out. “Try and keep up. We’re heading over to the Stark exhibit.”

That helped jar Cindy from her distracted state. Eager to brush it off, Cindy attempted to forget about the bite. The lab was crowded, swarming with workers and students from multiple schools. She couldn’t afford to wander too far.

As soon as she took her first step, though, a strange feeling overcame her. Suddenly, the sting from the bite turned into something much more…something that quickly consumed the rest of her body.

“Ugh! My head,” she groaned. “What’s going…”

That was all Cindy got out before everything started spinning. Still surrounded by swarms of students and staff, all of which looked too busy to notice her distress, she stumbled over towards a corner near the women’s restroom. With each step she took, the feeling got worse. She felt dizzy, jittery, and anxious. It was as though swarms of spiders were crawling all over her body.

_‘Stupid spider! What kind of spider was that? Did…did I just get bit by some exotic species, or something?’_

As her mind raced, Cindy began to panic. Everything around her started spinning. The world around her slowed down as every thought, feeling, and sensation accelerated, so much so that she struggled to keep up. Either that spider had been extremely venomous or her body was having an extreme reaction.

Cindy leaned on a nearby wall for support, feeling cold sweat break out all over her body. The stinging sensations continued to spread, surging through her skin and muscles like electricity overloading a wire. Looking down at her hands, she swore she saw some strange fluid seeping from her fingertips. At that point, she realized that might not have been an ordinary spider.

_‘This doesn’t feel normal. What the hell is happening to me?’_

As panic and shock set in, Cindy stood paralyzed for a moment. She wasn’t sure whether she should call a security guard or run to the nearest emergency room. Then, as she dreaded the implications, she felt a strange buzzing feeling in her head, like an alarm going off within her brain. With reflexes faster than she thought possible, she turned to see a man in an elder man in an overcoat approach her.

“Who’s there?” Cindy gasped.

“Take it easy there, kid,” he said. “Everything’s going to be fine, all right?”

“What do you mean? Are you a doctor? Or an expert on spider bites? Please tell me you’re at least one of those!”

“You’re not taking it easy. I saw what happened. I’ll get you through this. Here, settle down.”

The old man approached her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He then helped keep her upright as her legs failed her and she collapsed to the floor. Her head still buzzing and her senses in overdrive, Cindy looked up at the old man before her.

He didn’t look threatening, but too friendly either. He had snow white hair, a clean-shaven face, and dark eyes that seemed to make the buzzing in her head more intense. A part of her wanted to run away. Another part was afraid to leave. Cindy wasn’t sure which one to follow. The more she looked into his eyes, though, the more she sensed that she didn’t have a choice.

“You’re going to be okay, Ms. Moon,” he told her. “My name is Ezekiel Sims. I’m here to help you and protect you.”

“How do you know my name?” she gasped. “And what do you mean _protect_ me?”

“If I saw what I think I saw, then there’s you’re in need of more than just help. Come with me. Let’s get you out of this place and in touch with your family. I suspect we’ll have _plenty_ to discuss.”

* * *

**Hellfire Club – Present Time**

There were a handful of names that Peter Parker never liked hear in any context. Every time they came up, it was usually a prelude to something that put him, his loved ones, and countless innocent people at risk. That list included infamous names like Osborn, Fisk, and Octavious. One particular name, though, often inspired a unique set of complications.

“Ezekiel Sims,” Peter said with folded arms, not bothering to hide his frustration. “I know we’re supposed to respect our elders, but that guy is a walking exception.”

“Disrespect him all you want. Trust me. I have way more reasons to hate him than you,” said Cindy, not hiding the bitterness and hate she had for that man.

“I want to argue that, but after what you’ve told me…I mean, damn! That old fart has really raised the bar for assholes everywhere.”

Peter was already pacing throughout Mary Jane’s office at the Hellfire Club. He was already itching to get his hands on Ezekiel after what Cindy had told him. What started as an awkward encounter that ended with sex on a desk had become a serious issue that was unlikely to have a very sexy solution.

“You guys can stop trying to convince me. This guy is bad news, even by your lofty standards,” said Mary Jane, who had plenty to process from her end as well.

“For what he did to me, my family, and God knows who else…he’s in a league of his own,” said Cindy.

“I’m starting to see that,” said the Red Queen. “Based on some of the reports Emma sent me from her private server, Ezekiel Sims put extra effort into being an asshole. He’s got money, time, and resources of the physical and not-so-physical variety. It’s hard enough tracking a man who knows how to hide a paper trail, but when that trail involves magic…”

The Red Queen’s words trailed off as she read over a tablet computer, learning the easy way what he and Cindy had learned so painfully about Sims. The man shielded himself with a lot of mystery, but he was always clear with his intentions. It wasn’t enough to obtain spider powers so irresponsibly. The man had to throw magic into the mix as well.

“I know,” said Peter. “Believe me, I wish the only magic we dealt with involved date nights and orgies.”

“Funny, Dr. Strange told me the exact same thing once,” said Mary Jane, “and I was fully clothed at the time.”

“Any chance we can get his help too?” asked Cindy. “I’d like to throw anyone and anything at this guy when the time comes…even if it means pissing off the Hulk.”

“I can’t say I blame you, Cindy,” said Mary Jane, “but I’m afraid the good doctor has been out all week. Something about a mission to a hidden realm with Thor. The rest of the Avengers are busy too.”

“Let me guess…Hydra again?” Peter asked.

“I’m not at liberty to say, but it begins with an R and ends with Ed Skull,” she replied, “so if this is as serious as you claim, Cindy, we’re on our own.”

The young woman tensed in her seat. To her credit, though, she remained remarkably calm. Sitting across from Mary Jane’s desk, she hugged her shoulders and restlessly shifted as they digested the extent of her story. Beyond revealing, once again, how devious men like Ezekiel Sims could be, it also revealed a secret to Spider-Man that Peter had never known.

After the revelation at Horizon Labs, he and Cindy got dressed and left as quickly as they could. Peter then made an emergency call to Mary Jane, interrupting a meeting between her and some Stark Industries partners who had used the Hellfire Club’s VIP lounges during one of Tony Stark’s meetings. She’d told him that morning not to call unless it was a “special” emergency. As soon as she heard some details, she agreed that this definitely qualified.

It led her to end the meeting early and return to the Hellfire Club shortly after he arrived with Cindy. From there, Peter introduced them and explained what happened at his office. She didn’t react too strongly when she learned that he and Cindy had sex just a few minutes after meeting. Given the open nature of their relationship, it wasn’t that big a deal. He still probably owed her a massage and a quickie in the shower.

Learning about Cindy having spider powers, though, was a much bigger revelation that had even greater implications. The same spider that gave Peter his powers – the one that gave him the bite that granted him so much power and responsibility – bit someone else on that fateful day. As they waited for more information on Sims, Peter found himself agonizing over the details.

“I still can’t believe it,” he said as he paced. “That damn spider just wasn’t content complicating one person’s life that day.”

“Sims called it another thread on the web of fate. I call it the price I paid for wearing sandals that day,” Cindy said dryly.

“That guy loves pulling people into that _web_ of his,” said Peter, shaking his head, “as though it’s not just him exploiting the hell out of a confusing situation. I mean…singling you out, taking you away from your family, and pretending to protect you? That’s a lot of things, but fate isn’t one of them.”

“He sure made it feel like that, though,” said Cindy with a mix of bitterness and sorrow. “First, he made it seem like I was sick. Then, he told my parents I was in danger because of some power-sucking vampire named Morlun.”

“Morlun is real. He wasn’t lying about _that_ ,” said Peter, “but using a monster like him to get you to trust him…it’s pretty cunning, but still a dick move.”

“It doesn’t matter. He still convinced me and my family that we all had to uproot our lives, leave the country, and go into hiding…as though we were part of some terrible crime. I didn’t ask to be bit and I sure as hell didn’t want to invite some monster to attack. That didn’t stop him from being extra graphic in describing Morlun. I swear, I wanted to rip his head off just for making my mom cry so hard!”

“That would’ve been too polite on your part.”

“It doesn’t matter because they still believed him…and so did I,” she went on, her voice cracking under the emotional strain. “He exploited my fear, but I still made the choice. I told my family goodbye, got on a plane with the man, and let him take me away to mold into his spider-powered underling. The fact I believed him for so long and trusted him so much…God, I’m so stupid!”

She hugged her shoulders a little harder, bowing her head to hide her tears. Ezekiel Sims had that effect on people, bending spirits to his whim and using them for his own selfish ends. He’d been on the wrong end of many plots by that crazy old man, but he’d never lost as much as Cindy.

“Now, my family is missing…disappeared from the face of the planet,” Cindy went on. “He promised he took care of them. He even said he paid them handsomely so that they wanted for nothing.”

“Sims makes a lot of empty promises,” Peter pointed out.

“And I _still_ believed him! I didn’t ask for specifics. I didn’t even question him. I just let him take them away while he trapped me on some isolated private island near Nova Roma. I did what he told me to do. I trained, studied, and worked in every way he demanded…never stopping once to think that just _maybe_ there was something very wrong with this. There were so many signs along the way, but I’d just convinced myself that he was right…that my fate had been sealed.”

“He does _that_ a lot too,” said Peter, “making you think you don’t have a choice.

“Doesn’t make me less stupid.”

Cindy tried to hide her bitter sobs, but didn’t do too good a job. He stopped pacing and attempted to console her, placing a hand on her shoulder and offering his solace. She accepted the gesture, placing her hand atop his and squeezing it firmly. It helped, but it also triggered his spider sense again in the same way it had back at his office. It might have been another side-effect of being bitten by the same spider. Just being near each other in a certain state triggered certain _instincts_.

They managed to restrain themselves, if only because Ezekiel Sims evoked so many unpleasant emotions. It didn’t surprise Peter that Sims had manipulated someone else with spider powers. That was what he did and he did it disturbingly well. The fact he went so far as to trap Cindy on an island, make her family disappear, and essentially hide her away for whatever perverse fate he had planned showed the extent of Sims’ deviousness. He still wasn’t on the same level as Norman Osborn, but he was a lot closer now.

“Well, you can stop beating yourself up now, Cindy,” Peter said to her. “You escaped. You found me. And your timing couldn’t be better. As it just so happens, I’m sleeping with the Red Queen of the Hellfire Club and her connections are every bit as amazing as our superpowers. Plus, she looks better in skin-tight outfits.”

“Thanks, Tiger,” said Mary Jane with a bemused smile. “Glad you think my ass is on the same caliber as super strength.”

“For what you’ve achieved with it, I’d argue it’s more powerful,” said Peter.

“If I didn’t already know how you’ve used that power, I might be skeptical,” said Cindy, her voice still strained. “Even so, will it be enough?”

“Well, assuming you two can keep your pants on, that’s what I hope to find out,” said the Red Queen.

Peter remained close to Cindy, but cast Mary Jane a grateful smile. He planned to give her as many sensual massages as she wanted later. He still had to help Cindy first while also dealing with the strange _effects_ she had on him.

He hadn’t quite made sense of it yet. Cindy claimed that their spider sense, having been born from the same spider bite, created some sort of primal link between them that sent their baser instincts into overdrive. It would’ve been an interesting phenomenon to study, but they had more pressing concerns.

Despite having the mutual urge to fuck one another, Peter shared her determination to defeat Ezekiel Sims. Peter was more confident than usual when dealing with an old foe. Unlike his previous encounters with Sims, though, he had more resources and allies on his side. Between having better connections with other superheroes and the love of the Red Queen of the Hellfire Club, Spider-Man was in the best possible position to take down Sims.

“As it turns out, the connections go beyond the spider that bit you two,” Mary Jane said as she turned her attention to the computer on her desk.

“I’m not surprised,” said Peter. “Sims is rich, crazy, and obsessed. That’s the supervillain trifecta.”

“Well, he certainly nailed down the crazy part when he teamed up with Selene Gallio. According to this file Emma sent me – which only exists on a private server in an underground SHIELD bunker, mind you – they established a partnership years before anyone got bit by a spider.”

“Selene…I’ve heard that name many times, but I don’t know much about her,” said Cindy. “I just remember people getting really _tense_ when she came up.”

“And there’s a good reason for that,” Mary Jane went on. “Selene was the former Black Queen of the Hellfire Club and the Inner Circle’s resident magic expert.”

“She’s basically an evil version of Dr. Strange, but looks much better in a thong and is _really_ into bondage,” Peter added.

“Sounds like she and Sims were made for each other,” said Cindy, rolling her eyes.

“That’s might be more accurate than you think,” said Mary Jane. “Emma claims it was popular gossip among the old Inner Circle…her and Sims being a thing. It would explain why she went out of her way to help him, which likely includes what he did to you.”

“I’m sure they had a relationship too kinky for words,” said Peter, “and in a place like this, that’s saying something.”

“It would also explain how Sims was able to hide you and your family for so long,” said the Red Queen. “The man has money and resources, but he lacked Selene’s mystical expertise. Near as I can tell, their entire partnership was built around a mix of exchanges and agendas. At some point, they even plotted to take over the Inner Circle together. And you were part of that plot, Cindy.”

Mary Jane got up from her desk and handed the tablet computer to Cindy. Whatever file she’d been trying to access had finished loading. On the screen, there were a string of hacked files from Shaw Industries that revealed the extent of Sims and Selene’s plot. It also showed some images that made Cindy shudder in her seat.

The images that got the greatest reaction were those depicting her family and what looked to be a private tropical island with a mansion on it. The reminders of her family were understandably hard, but it was the island that evoked a more mixed ranger of emotions.

“That’s it!” Cindy said as she picked up the tablet. “That’s where Sims took me a week after I was bitten…after I said goodbye to my family.”

“Not to make light of it, but you could’ve done much worse,” said Peter, still consoling her. “He could’ve just stuck you in a bunker and kept you there for a decade.”

“ _That_ would’ve been stupid,” Cindy said bitterly. “I know it looks fancy, but trust me. It’s _not_ an island paradise where I got to work on my tan all day.”

“Considering it’s owned by a Shaw Industries dummy corporation, that’s a given,” said Mary Jane. “Emma even suspects Selene stole it from Nova Roma, a country she once ruled, no less.”

“I guess that explains why it was part villa and part training compound,” said Cindy as she narrowed her gaze on the image. “Sims claimed he was training me for something…protecting and preparing me to face my fate. He said if I ever left the island, Morlun would find me or my family. Again, I _hate_ how much I believed him.”

“To be fair, that’s definitely something Morlun can do,” said Peter. “I’ve seen him do much crazier shit for less.”

“He had people coming and going every day…trainers and tutors working with me for hours on end,” said Cindy. “It was like being in some overseas military boarding school, except I was the only student. Everything I did, studied, and ate was tightly _controlled_. I never got to make friends, meet new people, or talk to my family. Sims kept telling me it was necessary and I just went along with it…for years.”

“At least you never had to play dodge ball in gym class,” said Peter.

He’d hoped that would lighten the mood, but it had no effect. Cindy remained tense, diverting her gaze from him and Mary Jane. She got up from her chair and stepped back for a moment, her gaze still locked on the images on the tablet. Peter sensed plenty of hatred for Sims, but there were plenty other feelings that neither he nor Mary Jane could relate to.

As complicated as his life had been since he got his powers, at least Peter had a choice in how they affected his life. Cindy had no choice. Sims had effectively taken over her life, using fear and a desire to protect her family. It was pretty devious, even by his lofty standards. The fact she’d remained hidden so long had left some pretty deep scars.

“I did everything he wanted me to do,” Cindy said distantly. “I learned to fight. I learned to use my powers. He even had me study every battle Spider-Man ever fought. At times, that was the only media I was allowed to watch.”

“I guess there are worse things he could’ve made you sit through,” said Peter. “He could’ve made you watch the last two seasons of CSI.”

“Peter, please stop trying to lighten the mood,” said Mary Jane, shaking her head. “There’s a time and a place. This is _neither_.”

Peter shifted awkwardly, cursing himself for making light of Cindy’s situation. Luckily, it didn’t sound like she heard him. She was still in a daze, as though the memories were playing out before her eyes.

“In some ways, you were my only connection to the world, Peter,” Cindy went on. “You showed what someone could do with these powers…how they could help you protect others who couldn’t protect themselves. You called it responsibility. Sims called it weak strategy that I had to learn from.”

“From what I’ve uncovered about the man, he wasn’t too big on responsibility,” said Mary Jane.

“He kept trying to overlook that. The more I watched, though, the more I questioned him…the more I suspected that he might be using me for his own agenda. It was always nagging in the back of my head, even as I followed every rule, listened to every tutor, and underwent his conditioning. The fact it took me so long to stop being afraid to choose my own fate…”

She had to stop, her voice cracking under the strain once more. She tried to hide her sobs, but didn’t do too good a job of it. Peter offered to console her again. Mary Jane even helped, having plenty of sympathy for those who suffered under the whims of irresponsible men. Cindy only partially accepted those gestures, maintaining her poise as she scrolled through the files. If there was one benefit to dealing with Ezekiel Sims, it was that he got really messy when fate didn’t pan out like he wanted.

“In the end, you still chose,” Peter pointed out to her.

“Yeah…after losing years of my life, holed up on some island,” said Cindy bitterly.

“Well, in any case, fate – if that’s not _too_ loaded a word – worked out in your favor,” said Mary Jane. “I’m not sure how aware you were of recent events, but Selene is _gone_. She and the rest of the Inner Circle went down hard, thanks to Emma and SHIELD.”

“Yeah, I sensed _something_ was amiss when Sims trashed his master bedroom in a rage,” said Cindy. “I want to say it was scary, but after years of him trapping me with fear…well, let’s just say I couldn’t muster much sympathy.”

“Read further down and you’ll have even less,” said the Red Queen. “I think Selene and Sims wanted to use you as an assassin. They were going to have you take down the old Inner Circle so Sims could declare himself Black King.”

“Knowing Sims, he’d probably present it as a test,” added Peter, “a way to show that you’d be ready once Morlun showed up.”

“He might have even used your family as leverage. It took a _lot_ to bring down the old Inner Circle. Emma once told me that the only ones who dared take them on were crazy, suicidal, or motivated…the third one being the most effective.”

“And I would’ve fit into that plan perfectly,” said Cindy. “I would’ve given him what he wanted and for all I know, he would’ve kept on lying…keeping me from my family so he could keep using me as his spider-powered puppet.”

The sobs and sorrow quickly faded from Cindy’s voice, replaced by justified anger. She took a few moments to read over the details Mary Jane had mentioned. Peter already knew what they entailed. They described what happened to the old Inner Circle and how Selene had been defeated. While Sims hadn’t been part of that effort, the collapse of the old Hellfire Club hit everyone that had been connected to them. Sims was no exception.

“Whatever he used to control you before, he doesn’t have it now,” Mary Jane said. “The fact that you’re here and you sought Peter out is proof of that.”

“To be fair, he basically let his guard down on the island,” Cindy pointed out. “I guess after Selene went down, he had fewer resources to keep me there. Once the guards began disappearing, I just didn’t have any excuses other than fear to keep me there.”

“He’s more desperate than you think,” said Mary Jane. “According to my SHIELD contacts, Sims is on the ropes. He _really_ indebted himself to organizations like the Hand and some renegade Asgardian mystics, hoping it would pay off once he and Selene were running the Hellfire Club.”

“For a guy who believes in fate, he’s a _shockingly_ bad gambler,” said Peter.

“There’s already a price on his head and not just in terms of money,” said the Red Queen. “At some point, he’ll have to make an even bigger gamble and chances are it’ll involve you.”

“And since he still has information on my family, he has leverage over me,” said Cindy bitterly.

“Yes,” Mary Jane conceded, “but there is a way to turn that against him…a way that involves you making more overdue choices.”

“With one major difference,” Peter added, “you won’t have to make them alone.”

Cindy finally turned away from the tablet and back towards him and Mary Jane. There was more strength in her gaze, as well as plenty of determination. Standing next to the Red Queen, he let her know that she had powerful allies, something Sims made sure she didn’t have when he took her away. Even with her family being a major concern, it felt like Cindy still had the advantage.

If Sims wanted to create a highly motivated fighter in Cindy, then he succeeded. He probably didn’t expect to create such a powerful enemy. Then again, he probably didn’t expect the Inner Circle to fall while someone like Mary Jane Watson took over. For once, fate wasn’t being kind to Ezekiel Sims.

“So I guess that means I _don’t_ have to beg you to help me?” said Cindy, a smile returning from her face.

“We prefer to save begging for our S&M parties,” teased Mary Jane.

“She’s dead serious, by the way,” added Peter.

“About helping me or the S&M parties?” asked Cindy in bemusement.

“Both,” Peter affirmed. “Ezekiel Sims is an ongoing problem that will only get worse for you, me, and everyone we care about. It’s high time someone take this fate he’s always droning about and shove it up his ass.”

“He’s also a loose end for the Hellfire Club and we can’t have those,” said Mary Jane. “Part of transforming this place into a beacon of responsibility and decadence involves confronting old burdens. The way I see it, we’re doing ourselves and the world a favor.”

“That, and helping out superheroes gets you hot,” teased Peter.

“That too.”

Cindy looked both convinced and relieved. It was hard to imagine, having so much of her life manipulated and guided by Ezekiel Sims. The face he’d gone to such lengths, hiding her from the world and separating her from her family, showed just how far he was willing to go in the name of fate.

Showing more strength than she had demonstrated thus far, Cindy set the tablet computer aside and approached him and the Red Queen. It might have taken a long time for him and Cindy to cross paths again after being bitten by that spider, but they still found each other. They each shared plenty of burdens from that bite, but now they were ready to share the responsibilities.

“Okay,” said Cindy confidently. “I’m officially ready to team up with Spider-Man and the Red Queen of the Hellfire Club.”

“Good!” said Peter. “That may end up being the most responsible choice you’ve made since that spider bit you…the first of many, hopefully.”

“Guess you got to start somewhere,” she said, already sounding ready to work. “Just tell me how we’re going to do this. I’ve studied and observed stuff like this over the years, but I’ve never actually _done_ it.”

“Don’t worry. You pick it up quickly, especially when the people you love are affected,” said Peter. “It also helps to have a plan…which we do have, don’t we?”

Peter turned towards Mary Jane with a hopeful glance. As smart and capable as he was, he’d never been good with tactics. Being the Red Queen and a former prostitute, Mary Jane had proven time and again that she could hatch an ambitious plan, carry it out, and look sexy as hell while doing it. If the coy grin on her face was any indication, she already had something brewing.

“I’m the Red Queen of the Hellfire Club, Tiger. Of course we have a plan!” said Mary Jane confidently. “The good thing about men like Sims is that when they’re desperate, they tend to come to you. We just have to be ready with a few tricks and kinks.”

“I’m already liking this plan,” said Cindy, sounding eager to get to work.

“I like any plan that involves my girlfriend and kinks,” joked Peter.

“I’m sure you do. There’s just one important detail we need to work out before we start,” said the Red Queen, her gaze narrowing on Cindy.

“What’s that?” she asked.

Mary Jane casually walked around Cindy and scanned her appearance with her critical eye. Having seen that gaze before, Peter already had an inkling for what she had in mind. It gave him further assurance that, despite Ezekiel Sims’ best efforts, fate was going to be much kinder to Cindy.

“First and foremost,” Mary Jane said, “we need to get you into a sexy, skin-tight costume like Spider-Man. If you’re going to run with superheroes, then you might as well dress like one.”

“A costume? A superhero name?” said Cindy, already sounding overwhelmed. “You sure we’re not getting ahead of ourselves, Mary Jane?”

“I’m sure,” said the Red Queen without hesitation. “Trust me. When you see what I have planned for Ezekiel Sims, you’re going to want to look good for this!”

* * *

**Uncharted Private Island – Years Ago**

Everything was falling into place. The vast web of fate that brought order to a chaotic universe had once again revealed itself. Ezekiel Sims, a proud architect of that order, stood on the precipice of guiding that fate down a bold path…one whose first threads had just been woven.

Standing on the shores of an unmapped private island – which once belonged to a Nova Roman aristocrat, but had since been _acquired_ in a private deal – Ezekiel watched as a large contingent of laborers put the finishing touches on a renovated villa. The work had been going on for months, turning what had once been a private pleasure palace into a more functional facility with a specific purpose. That purpose depended on the fates of two individuals, one of which resided in the mansion and the other of which stood next to him.

“I’ve completed the last incantation,” said Selene, the Black Queen of the Hellfire Club. “I had to tap a few old connections in Nova Roma to obtain the necessary materials, but the spell is complete.”

“I hope things didn’t get too _messy_ , my dear,” said Ezekiel.

“Don’t worry. It never got to a point where I didn’t _enjoy_ it,” she said with a devious tease.

“Mixing work with play and still producing such impressive results…that’s why I love working with you, Selene.”

“I’m sure it’s _one_ of your reasons.”

The raven-haired woman cast him a cold, but alluring grin. Ezekiel smiled back, showing his appreciation for her colorful, but effective tactics. Being Black Queen of the Hellfire Club gave her plenty of methods to get what she wanted. The fact she chose methods that mixed her ruthless cunning with her deviant kinks revealed a lot about her. She was a master of her fate, guiding it and enjoying it to the utmost. Ezekiel couldn’t help but admire that.

“It’s not my best work, but I’m still quite satisfied…something I don’t get to say as often as I’d like,” Selene went on.

“If fate continues to play out in our favor, I hope that changes,” said Ezekiel.

“As do I,” said the Black Queen. “Until then, this island is officially _unofficial_ on every meaningful plane, mystical and otherwise. The incantations I used will keep it in a shroud that not even Heimdall or the Eye of Agamotto could see through it.”

“While I don’t intend to clash with either, I take comfort in knowing they’ll remain as ignorant as the migrating birds that fly over the island every spring.”

“You can never be too cautious when you’re planning to usurp the Inner Circle. Sebastian once claimed he had spies in Heaven and Hell watching everything that’s worth watching. I know he loves to exaggerate, but it still never hurts to compensate.”

“That’ll make his reaction to our long-term plan all the more satisfying,” said Ezekiel. “The Web of Fate has given us an opportunity…one that will put us in the best possible position to seize power down the line.”

“Positions and power? Careful with your choice of words, Mr. Sims. You’ll give the impression that you want to turn me on.”

“Have you ever known me to hide my intentions from you, my dear?”

Selene’s grin widened. She leaned in closer, latching onto his arm and casting him a seductive glance. Given her revealing Black Queen attire, complete with a leather corset, stiletto boots, and a matching black thong, she portrayed a decadent aura that perfectly reflected her title. Ezekiel might have been an old man, but even he couldn’t escape the influence of her lustful leer.

Unfortunately, pursuing fate often required restraint. That meant saving their decadence activities for later. For now, Ezekiel remained fixated on the facility before him, watching as the last of the laborers left the facility. As far as he knew, the logistics of his fateful plot were complete.

“I also spoke to my associate from Roxxon contracting,” Ezekiel continued.

“Focusing on business again…so much for turning me on,” Selene said dryly.

“They finished installing the training arena, the observation room, and the study hall. I’ve already scheduled some training and lessons this afternoon. For our little agent of chaos to perform, she must learn to use the skills that fate has given her.”

“I’m sure you’ve already secured the means and personnel. You’ve always been good at that, Sims. It’s why you’ll make a fine Black King.”

“Only if Ms. Moon can deliver when the time comes,” he said. “We cannot rush her, nor can we rush fate. We must be patient, cautious, and cunning.”

“I’m willing to be all three if the payoff is as satisfying as promised,” said Selene. “I still hope you’ll let me contribute to her _conditioning_. If she’s going to work for us, then she needs to know how we do things with respect to business _and_ pleasure.”

“You’ll have plenty of opportunities. However, that’s still contingent on ensuring her family remains secure. I’ll need you to keep an eye on that, as well…especially if she ever learns the truth.”

Selene rolled her eyes, but remained close to him. She’d never been fond of the more mundane aspects of a plan, but never argued against their importance. She’d already done so much to help him secure Cindy Moon since convincing her to come with him. Maintaining that trust promised to be an ongoing challenge, at least until their fate played out accordingly.

“She won’t find out,” said Selene. “I’ll take care of any mystical factors. You can handle the rest. For what you paid those AIM scientists to do, the girl’s family better be secured for the foreseeable future.”

“Don’t underestimate the chaotic whims of fate, my dear,” he told her. “You can never be too careful in preserving power and leverage.”

“I’m an immortal vampire queen. Power and leverage are as much a part of me as my fondness for afternoon orgies on the beach.”

“It may come easy for the Black Queen of the Hellfire Club, but Cindy Moon is a different story. I went to considerable lengths to earn her trust and convince her parents that they were in danger.”

“I haven’t forgotten. You even had me ensure that whole bit with Morlun was only a half-lie at most,” said Selene, “which required even more favors than the shroud, mind you.”

“It’s all a necessary part of the plan…a long-term effort in bending the Web of Fate to our favor,” Ezekiel said distantly. “I had to bend that fate harder than I’d hoped with Cindy. Even before that spider bit her, I sensed that she had a different path ahead of her…one that I had to alter for her benefit and mine.”

“You’re still not going to convince me that locking her in a bunker was going to serve you any better,” said the Black Queen.

“It’s still a risk…one that is more prone to complications. In my experience, fate tends to get _unruly_ when you try too hard to divert its path. Despite all the precautious we’ve taken, we’re still vulnerable to certain complications. For all we know, they’ve already played out and we’ll have no idea if or how they’ve affected us.”

Selene remained unconcerned and flirtatious, but Ezekiel was dead serious. As he gazed up at the former villa, he saw Cindy sitting at a window near the top floor, hugging her knees and gazing out over the scenic beaches. He couldn’t see her expression, but he could still sense her solemn state.

Cindy Moon was not at all the skilled soldier of fate he needed. She was a teenage girl who’d just been endowed with spider powers that she neither wanted nor sought out. Less than a week ago, she hugged her parents and brother in a tearful goodbye, not knowing when or if she’d see them again. That moment, while based on a partial lie, was the catalyst leading her down a new path…one that would lead him to a far greater destiny.

Even with fate on his side, though, Ezekiel still had is concerns. A lot was riding on his and Selene’s ability to guide Cindy down that path without complications getting in the way. He already sensed that fate would not make it easy for him, especially once the time game to move on the Inner Circle. There was still no telling whether his efforts to secure that fate had been enough.

Selene, always so confident and self-assured, put a hand on his face and diverted his gaze to hers. She was still so devious and alluring. That helped set some of Ezekiel’s concerns at ease, but even the Black Queen’s sex appeal only went so far.

“You worry too much, Ezekiel Sims,” she told him. “If fate is truly on our side, as you _love_ to say, then we’ve already done our part. We need only wait and prepare for the fruits that await us.”

“Fate being on our side isn’t the same as certain victory, my dear,” Ezekiel told her.

“Then, take comfort in the knowledge in the certainties we do have,” she said while playfully trailing her gloved finger down his chest. “I’m still the Black Queen. The Inner Circle is still as powerful as ever. So long as I draw breath, this island will keep Ms. Moon on her path and our respective fates will remain on track.”

“I hope you’re right, my dear,” said Ezekiel, finally allowing himself to embrace her under the hot tropical sun.

“I know I am. You’ll see!”

* * *

**New York Harbor – Present Time**

When it came to defying fate, the potential reward almost always overshadowed the heavy price of failure. Ezekiel Sims knew that better than most. However, he was used to enjoying those rewards, not reeling from failure. In terms of lessons on fate, it was more painful than he’d imagined.

“You were wrong, Selene…so very wrong,” he said distantly.

Rain began falling as a large cargo ship pulled into New York City Harbor, completing a bittersweet and frustrating journey that began in Nova Roma and took several tedious pit stops along the way. Such inconvenience was frustrating, but necessary to some extent. It reflected the price he had to pay for his failure to guide his fate.

He’d been paying that price since the fall of the Hellfire Club, both literally and figuratively. When Selene, Sebastian Shaw, and the rest of the Inner Circle fell, it took a sizable chunk of his business holdings with it. Part of his partnership with Selene involved him investing heavily with Shaw Industries and various holdings associated with the Inner Circle. When those entities collapsed and were absorbed by others, he lost a sizable chunk of his fortune.

If that weren’t bad enough, being so heavily invested in Shaw Industries also made him liable for some of the _many_ crimes Shaw had committed. Apparently, Sebastian’s devious son, Shanobi, embezzled significant funds from Ezekiel’s businesses in an effort to undermine his father. That didn’t just compound his losses. That gave SHIELD, law enforcement, and several major governments a reason to freeze his assets and utterly stunt his operations. It also made him a wanted man in several dozen countries.

_“It’s one thing for Shaw to screw people over directly. At least in that case, you have a chance to fight back. When it happens indirectly, though…well, I hope you’ve got some very good lawyers on retainer because that’s even worse.”_

Those were the exact words of Foggy Nelson, a lawyer whose advice he’d sought anonymously after he heard about Selene’s demise. He ended up punching through a stone wall and trashing his old office in frustration. Ezekiel wasn’t used to fate treating him with such crudely. Then again, he’d taken that chance when he chose to ally with Selene.

He still didn’t know all the details. He just knew that Selene was no more and all her mystical resources had faded. Ezekiel had spent the last week traversing the world with a maxed out credit card, trying to stop the bleeding wherever he could. Then, he found out that the one asset he thought was most secure – Cindy Moon, his perfect agent of fate – had escaped the island. He could stand to lose all his money, his resources, and even his freedom. He couldn’t stand to lose her.

“Selene is gone now,” Ezekiel said into the dreary air, “but you’re still here, Cindy Moon. You can still repair the Web of Fate…a web we _both_ damaged.”

The old man adjusted his hat and heavy trench coat, watching as the ship pulled into an active loading area. It was late in the afternoon and there was plenty of activity. Dock workers and equipment made plenty of noise, even as the rain fell harder. He needed that cover to evade SHIELD, the police, and other less official authorities who did not appreciate his allegiance with the old Inner Circle.

He was still taking a risk, seeking Cindy in a city where so many enemies could hunt him. However, only one in particular mattered…one whose fate had already clashed with his before. If he was to have any hope of rebuilding his destiny, then he had to go through _him_.

“I know she’ll seek you out, Peter Parker,” said Ezekiel, knowing he would hear through the Web of Fate. “Her fate was always tied to yours…in ways more _intimate_ than you think. I know you’ll help her. It’s what you do. I must see to it that you _both_ pay for denying our collective destiny.”

His gaze narrowed on the famed New York City skyline, sensing through the Web of Fate that Spider-Man was there. By now, Cindy had probably caught up with him. She likely knew the extent of his _manipulations_ , to some extent. It explained why she’d escaped the comfortable, scenic domain he’d worked so hard to maintain for her. She’d beaten up several agents, stole one of their boats, and somehow got onto a chartered jet from Nova Roma.

How she learned of his lies or made her way to New York was still a mystery, but Ezekiel had his share of suspicions. He didn’t care about the specifics, though. He needed to get Silk back under his control and that meant resorting to extreme measures, even by the standards of fate.

“End of the line old man!” yelled the grizzled voice of the ship’s co-captain. “Since you barely had enough buy yourself a bunk, I’m hesitant to call you a cab.”

“There’s no need for that,” Ezekiel assured the man. “I can find my way from here.”

“Good, because this is the last time I let you on my ship. I know your name used to be on the lease, but it ain’t no more. Stark Industries and Frost Enterprise are signing our checks now so don’t expect any more favors.”

“I assure you this will be the last,” he said. “I’ve no further interest in old business dealings or repaying old debts. In terms of resources and leverage, I’m almost tapped out.”

“If you’re looking for sympathy, you should’ve paid us better when we were hauling your shit across the ocean,” said the co-captain, not hiding his disdain for his previous business tactics.

“It’s too late for that, I’m afraid. It’s too late for a lot of things. Once I leave this ship, my fate will take me far away from this world…and I’ve no intention of coming back.”

The co-captain just scoffed, shaking his head and showing little care for his predicament. Ezekiel could hardly blame him. Few could hope to understand, let alone appreciate, the path before him.

“Whatever, pal,” the man said, scoffing before he looked away. “Just get off my fucking boat and as far away from me as possible. You’re a wanted man in a city that ain’t been kind to them lately. I’d say good luck, but I’d rather save that for a Mets game.”

Ezekiel sneered at the co-captain before making his way off the ship, walking down a ramp that connected to one of the loading bays. He passed by a few other sailors who had once been on his payroll. Most avoided eye-contact. Some scolded him as well, taking a perverse pleasure in his recent misfortune. He hadn’t treated his subordinates kindly when he had been in charge. It was yet another instance of fate turning against him, but he intended to change that.

_‘Go ahead. Resent me all you want. Relish in my downfall, if you must. I deserve, as such, for placing too much trust in the likes of Selene. Rest assured, I’ve learned. And I fully intend to regain my place in the Web of Fate.’_

The ambitious old man made his way out of the loading bay as quickly as possible, finding an unoccupied storage facility just outside the main gate. With the rain now pouring, he slipped into a darkened area and reached into his coat where he retrieved a small, yet decorated box that he’d kept on his person since before he left Nova Roma.

Once exposed to the dreary air, the decorative gems on the box lit up, giving off a distinct energy that only those versed in the Web of Fate appreciated. It was still unstable, flashing and flickering like a light being overloaded by a power surge. Parts of the box had even begun cracking, a clear sign that the clock was ticking and Ezekiel had no intention of missing out.

“I know you’re in there, Morlun,” he told the box. “Selene warned me that containing what’s left of you was a gamble, but assured me the odds were in our favor, so long as she was there to reinforce the spell. Now, she’s _not_ here and I’m feeling that as much as you are…to a point.”

The glowing box shook within his grasp, as though something inside were punching the sides from within. He saw some of the cracks expand, but the glowing gems on the sides remained steady. A breach was inevitable. In most instances, that was a bad thing, considering what he’d done to power and presence within.

“You started as a half-truth, but eventually became a means to an end,” Ezekiel said. “You’ve hungered for the power of the spider…fought for it through countless realms. You were going to Cindy at some point, even if you managed to get to Peter first.”

The box shook more violently. Ezekiel wasn’t worried though. If anything, he was encouraged.

“That was never going to happen, though. Fate was not on your side. It never was,” he went on. “It was only because of me and Selene that you are not an ethereal speck in a sea of oblivion. With her gone, though, I’m the only one who can still give you form and purpose…provided you serve the Web of Fate to my liking.”

Morlun, or whatever was left of the beast, must have heard that. The box stopped shaking and the glowing gems on the side stopped flicking. Ezekiel grinned at the reaction. He might have lost much of his leverage due to his allegiance with Selene, but he still had enough to pursue his fate. That was all he needed for what he had planned.

Holding the box closer, he gazed out into the rainy city before him. Through the Web of Fate, he sensed both Peter Parker and Cindy Moon. They were close. Their paths had already crossed, just as he expected. In all likelihood, he would have to confront them both and they were sure to be _agitated_. He fully intended to use that to his advantage. One way or another, those two would fulfill their purpose. The Web of Fate could be shaken, but it could never break.

“Fate has taken many turns…more so than I anticipated. That doesn’t change the connection you two have to each other…and to me,” he said, as though Peter and Cindy could hear him. “Together, we all serve the Web of Fate. We all pay a price for defying it. You’ve been fortunate thus far…more fortunate than you deserve. That changes tonight!”

* * *

**Up next: Conditioning and Control**


	2. Conditioning and Control

** The Red Queen Chronicles: The Secret  
Chapter 2: Conditioning and Control **

* * *

**Hellfire Private Island – Years Ago**

“It’s time, Cindy. I know you want this. Please…let me give it to you.”

Those words sounded so enticing and sincere. For Cindy Moon, it was more than enough to trigger all sorts of emotions and desires…the kind she thought she couldn’t feel while hiding away on some secret island, cut off from the world for her own good. Since the day she said goodbye to her family, she tried shutting out the feelings of isolation that came with being trapped. However, her _caretakers_ , as she came to call them, didn’t make that easy for her.

“This isn’t real. I know it _can’t_ be real,” said Cindy, shaking her head vigorously.

“Does that matter?” retorted Ezekiel Sims, the man in which she’d place so much trust. “The man before you is real…flesh, blood, and everything in between, minus a sense of self.”

“I’ve even made a few _refinements_ ,” added Selene, the raven-haired women Cindy also had to trust, if only because Ezekiel did. “If you’re in need of a little playful intimacy, this is the best you’re going to get…on or off this island.”

The way that woman talked still sent chills down her spine, but Cindy couldn’t make that too obvious. She was still at the mercy of her and Ezekiel’s whims. By nearly every measure, they were offering more mercy than usual.

Ever since she’d arrived on the island, her days had been spent training, exercising, and studying. Mornings were spent refining her new spider powers in the special training area Ezekiel had set up in the basement. Afternoons were spent studying with tutors, providing the equivalent of a college education, albeit mixed in with survival and fighting tactics. Evenings were spent keeping up with news of the outside world, especially when it pertained to Spider-Man, the new vigilante who had recently showed up in New York City. Her entire first year had been so regimented, devoid of family, friends, and basic social interaction.

Now, Ezekiel and Selene presented her with a strange, yet pragmatic solution. Using some sort process – one that likely involved magic and some other powerful forces that she’d prefer not know about – they’d created for her the familiar male figure that now stood before her. She’d come down into the training area in her workout clothes expecting some rigorous training. Seeing the face, body, and _other_ features intimate features of her former boyfriend, Hector, left her stunned and a little awkward.

Standing frozen in place just beyond the entrance to the area, Cindy wasn’t sure how to react. Everything about her life had become so distant and detached. The idea that she was now looking at a complete manifestation of her former boyfriend was hard to process.

_‘I know what they’re doing. They’re not even trying to hide it. Using my first boyfriend…tempting me with things I never got to share with him…I don’t know if this counts as cruelty or generosity, but damn it if it’s not working!’_

Cindy stared down the figure before her. On the surface, she was looking at the face and body of Hector. However, there was little trace of the awkward, but sweet boy she’d known in his gaze. Considering how close they’d gotten before she got bit by that spider, it mattered to her. After being so isolated, though, it didn’t matter as much as she wanted it to…especially for certain parts of her body.

“As you can see, I modeled every trait, feature, and sinew off the boy you knew,” Selene went on, gesturing towards the figure as though he were a new car. “Thanks to Ezekiel’s little cloning operations and my mystical skills, I’m quite good at creating mindless, obedient servants who also happen to be exceptionally _endowed_.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” said Cindy, blushing at some of the body parts she pointed towards.

“I understand you had a tearful goodbye with Hector before you left New York,” Ezekiel added. “I also sensed you wanted more than a kiss before you parted ways.”

“So you _were_ spying on me,” she said. “Guess I wasn’t being paranoid when I cut that moment short.”

“It was for your own good, Cindy. Everything Selene and I have done for you has been to that end. We want you to be strong. We want you to maintain some connection to the world you left. I know being apart from your family and your home has been _difficult_.”

“You have no fucking clue,” Cindy said under her breath.

“However, we need you to remain strong, mentally and physically. It’s the only way you’ll stand a chance against Morlun and the grim fate he’ll bring with him…to you _and_ your family.”

Cindy hugged her shoulders and shuddered, trying again to hide the dread she felt whenever the old man reminded her of why she’d left so much behind. After getting her powers, she’d been so scared for herself and her family. It was out of that fear that she broke up with Hector, despite wanting to introduce him to her family just a few days before. She’d even entertained thoughts about going all the way with him on their next date…an experience they never got to share.

Those thoughts soon became dreams, lost desires that she’d never get to fulfill. Now, Ezekiel and Selene had presented her with what might have been the next best thing. It was hard enough that they gave her so much, forcing her to rely on them and their resources to protect her family. They just kept finding ways to make it harder.

“Come,” Selene offered, gesturing towards her. “See for yourself. He may not have the personality of the boy you knew, but he’s fully capable of doing all the things teenage girls fantasize about doing with boys.”

“We could’ve made him look like anyone,” Ezekiel added, “from a generic male to a mock-up of whatever male actor you fancied in your youth.”

“I’m sure you two know every boy band I crushed on in third grade,” said Cindy dryly.

“Which is why we decided to go with someone you already knew intimately…albeit, to a point,” he said. “Like it or not, you do need this, Cindy. Your powers give you many physical gifts. To maximize the use of those gifts, we need you in peak condition in both mind and body.”

“And as it just so happens, this will help with both,” said Selene coyly. “A strong, resilient woman needs both the mental and physical release that certain intimate acts produce. That’s what we want to give you, Ms. Moon.”

“For me or for you?” she wondered under her breath.

Cindy swallowed nervously, but eventually turned her attention back to Hector. The healthy heterosexual woman in her – the same woman that had been isolated for over a year now with few sexual outlets – couldn’t help but admire the sight before her. Just seeing the boy she once knew, completely naked and exposed to her, was enough to evoke a moist heat between her legs.

Unable to avoid the truth in their words, Cindy finally stepped forward and approached the figure of Hector. Ezekiel got out of her way while Selene remained next to Hector, still hovering over him as though he were more a prop than a figure. Given the power she’d demonstrated, it probably wasn’t far from the truth.

“Creating obedient minions from heaps of flesh is my specialty,” Selene said. “In fact, my darling Ezekiel here has provided much of the raw materials I’ve used to create the various servants that maintain the Hellfire Club’s operation _and_ provide intimate company.”

“You give me too much credit, my dear,” said Ezekiel. “I merely provide the ingredients. You work the magic.”

“And it’s a potent magic, to say the least,” said the Black Queen. “These beings have a strict, narrow purpose. For you, Ms. Moon, that purpose goes beyond intimate companionship.”

“I’m sure it does,” Cindy said distantly as she neared Hector’s figure. “You keep saying there are always greater forces at work. Isn’t that what you’ve been preparing me for?”

“It’s one of the things,” she said. “There are many other lessons to learn besides battling Morlun and protecting your family. Some can only be learned by experience…raw, uninhibited experience.”

The sexual connotations in her tone were obvious, if not a little crude. Cindy had never been that uncomfortable with sex, although she still avoided talking about it with her parents. She didn’t deny that she had a sex drive, having masturbated regularly since middle school. She never got to do more than that with Hector. The idea that she could have that experience, even without the emotional or personal connections, was pretty enticing.

Now standing just a few feet from his naked form, Cindy reached out to touch exposed flesh of the man in front of her. It felt real, reminding her of how it felt to embrace him the day they said goodbye to one another. It still had a very _sterile_ aura to it, one that made obvious that there was no mind or soul within the figure. It was just a hunk of human flesh, animated to mimic certain behaviors.

As Cindy traced her hands over his chest, though, her libido didn’t care. From the perspective of her loins, she was still standing in front of naked man. She was still a healthy young woman who wanted to have sex and explore intimate feelings. Even if it was fake, she still wanted it.

“Hector,” Cindy said distantly.

“Cindy…I’m here,” he replied, his voice as mechanical as a recorded message.

“Go on,” Selene said, finally stepping aside. “Get undressed. Show him that you want this.”

Cindy, now feeling the warmth radiating from his naked body, did as the Black Queen requested. Not caring that both Selene and Ezekiel were still watching, she took off her shirt and training bra, her well-developed breasts tumbling free. Hector, if it was even right to call him that, barely reacted. Then, she slid out of her sweatpants, underwear, and shoes. Again, he didn’t react. The only part of him that reacted was his penis, which began stiffening as soon as began undressing.

_‘It’s not Hector…not even close. He’d make a goofy, but adorable face if he saw me in a bra. This guy isn’t doing anything and yet…I still want it.’_

Fate seemed unavoidable, as Ezekiel had so often preached. Desire, leverage, and just plain horniness led her to once again make the only choice that seemed feasible. The alternative was more isolation and she couldn’t stand that. The price was granting even more leverage to him and Selene, which she couldn’t stand, either. In the end, though, unavoidable fate won out.

“Your training has done you well, Cindy,” said Selene, her eyes drifting up and down her naked body.

“Um…thanks,” Cindy said, hiding her discomfort.

“Don’t be embarrassed. You’re a beautiful young woman,” the Black Queen said, “beautiful, strong, and very sexual…more so than you let on. Hector here can prove it.”

She gestured towards Hector, who acted as though he’d been commanded via pre-programmed actions. He took her in his arms, pulling her into a naked embrace that caught her by surprise. However, the feeling of his naked skin touching hers triggered an immediate reaction.

He affectionately kissed her neck, trailing one hand down her butt and while using the other to caress her face. Cindy let out a light gasp as her heart rate jumped, hormones and pent up desire going into overdrive. The air around her became so hot, especially between her legs. She could already feel his semi-erect dick pressing against her thigh, his every touch aching with lust. It was still a false lust, though. She kept trying to remind herself of that.

_‘It isn’t real. He’s not Hector. It’s just…’_

That train of thought stopped the moment Hector shifted his hand from her butt to her pussy, grazing his fingers over her outer folds that were already very moist.

_‘Oh fuck! Why does it have to feel so good?’_

Cindy let out another sharp gasp, one that seemed to seal her fate and vindicate Selene. She could feel the Black Queen’s smug grin, as well as Ezekiel’s approving glance. They both had to know what they were doing to her, using her desires to strengthen their control on her. It was bad enough she had entrusted them with protecting her family and preparing her for Morlun. Now, they were using her sex drive against her, giving them even more leverage.

“See? You _do_ want this,” Selene said. “You and your boyfriend never got to this point, but you planned to. You weren’t going to wait until your wedding night. In fact, I doubt you would’ve waited until your prom night.”

Cindy didn’t reply, in part because Hector was fingering her pussy and kissing her on the lips. She wouldn’t have wanted to anyway. She didn’t want to give the raven-haired woman the satisfaction.

That didn’t make her words any less true. She had planned on giving herself to Hector at some point, if not by the end of her junior year, then definitely before the summer. She’d even begun rehearsing the awkward conversations they would have and fantasizing about the moment they would share. None of that happened. Fate just wouldn’t allow it. Not knowing if she’d ever get another chance to experience such a feeling, Cindy decided to take whatever little fate gave her.

“Let this become another part of your training,” Ezekiel added, “more reward than incentive, so to speak.”

“It beats other, less pleasurable kinds of training,” joked Selene.

“Keep trusting in me…trust in your place within the Web of Fate…and you’ll get opportunities like this to exercise your desires. Make no mistake, though. With trust comes submission. Through submission, you’ll get what you seek…in accord with fate, that is.”

Cindy had known Ezekiel long enough to pick up on the subtext of his musings. All his talk about fate and trust was just code for reminding her that he was still in charge. He still determined how her fate would play out and that of her family. Even a reward, sexual or otherwise, was intended to reinforce that.

“Oh you make it sound so callous, my darling,” said Selene in a bemused chuckle. “You know and I most certainly know that there are many benefits to submission. Our aspiring agent of fate, here, deserves to appreciate them.”

The Black Queen narrowed her gaze on Cindy again. With his lips still entwined with hers, he reacted again like well-trained pet. Like a reflex, Hector grabbed her by the butt and lifted her up off the floor, catching her off-guard again. He then laid her on the floor atop the training mat where she usually practiced combat moves. Once on her back, he got on top of her, his naked body hovering over hers with raw lust in his eyes.

Cindy, dazed with desire and resigned to her fate, went along with it. She even spread her legs and allowed Hector to position himself between them. As far as she was concerned, they had passed the point of no return. She was going to have sex. It wasn’t going to happen in the way she’d imagined with Hector, but at the very least, she was half-right.

“You know what to do, Hector,” Selene said, kneeling down and talking right into his ear. “Eat her out. Get her nice and wet. Then, fuck her. Make sure she comes before you. If, after ward, she wants more, then give her more until she’s satisfied.”

“Cindy…I want to satisfy you,” Hector said, his voice still cold and mechanical.

“That will be your duty from now on. Don’t just fuck her. Make her _want_ to fuck. Make her crave it. The more she wants it, the more you’ll want to give it to her. Submit and embrace the great pleasures of fate!”

Selene wasn’t even trying to be subtle anymore. She was using Cindy’s desires and lust against her, thereby strengthening her and Ezekiel’s hold on her. A part of her hated it, but too many other parts of her wanted to submit. There seemed to be no other way.

The figure of Hector, being the obedient meat puppet that Ezekiel and Selene had made, did exactly what fate had ordained. Still flat on her back, her legs spread wide, he trailed his lips down her torso and eventually settled within her inner thighs. He didn’t hesitate for a second to bury his face in her pussy, licking and teasing her moist folds. Almost immediately, Cindy felt an onslaught of hot sensations.

“Oohhh Hector!” she cried out.

It sounded like lines from a script. She knew the man going down on her wasn’t Hector. She wasn’t in her old bedroom in Queens either, sneaking her boyfriend in through a window so they could enjoy some illicit intimacy behind her parents’ back. Their sex was just another part of the fate that Ezekiel had laid out for her…another act for which the choice had been made for her. At least it was the kind of fate that actually felt good.

“Come, my dear,” said Ezekiel. “Let us give Cindy and her _companion_ some privacy.”

“You’re no fun. You know how much I enjoy watching others writhe in submissive bliss,” joked Selene.

“I’m sure fate will give you plenty more opportunities. There are so many forces guiding Ms. Moon’s path. Let her enjoy this one.”

Selene rolled her eyes and grinned, casting Cindy one last lurid glare, as if to let her know that she could only resist her desires to a point. She might or might not have been playing mind games, but Cindy was too dazed to make sense of them. At the moment, her only concern was getting the most pleasure out of her first sexual experience.

She barely noticed Selene and Ezekiel walking out through the main door and closing it behind them. She _definitely_ noticed when Hector stuck his tongue into her pussy. With the utmost drive – not that he could do anything else, being a mindless servant – he began eating her out.

“Yes! Like that, Hector! Just…just like that!” Cindy gasped.

With those encouraging words, Hector put more energy into his efforts, showing the same obedience to her as he did Selene. He used his fingers to part her folds wider, probing deeper and stimulating her sensitive depths. Selene must have also imparted a thorough understanding of female anatomy or something because there was no way a teenage boy could be _that_ skilled.

However Hector got those skills, they did the trick. Each act of oral teasing sent more surges up through her body, intensifying her arousal. Her body soon ached for sex, the desire quickly escalating into a burning need. The circumstances and the details no longer mattered.

“So hot…so wet,” Cindy moaned. “Hector…I’m ready. Don’t make me wait a second longer!”

The man – or mindless servant in the body of a man, as it were – couldn’t heed her request fast enough. Almost immediately, Hector stopped eating her pussy out and rose back into an upright position. Cindy noticed he now had a full erection. Whether by obedience or some other mechanism that Selene and Ezekiel had built in, Hector was ready to fuck her and she was ready to embrace the feeling.

Like an obedient soldier following orders, he got on top of her. Following her own instincts and desires, Cindy wrapped her legs around his waist and grabbed onto his shoulders. His hands now securely on her thighs, Hector aligned the tip of his cock with her wet entrance. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for the coming feeling. Then, in a single motion, Hector thrust his hips forward and drove his dick into her pussy.

“Ohhh Hector!” Cindy cried out.

Saying his name out loud felt so hollow. She knew it wasn’t the real Hector on top of her. The boy she knew – the one she’d fantasized about sleeping with in her private moments – was only a memory. The figure to which she just gave her virginity was more minion than man. Cindy knew that in her mind and in her heart. The rest of her body, though, didn’t care.

“Cindy…my darling,” Hector said, his voice flat and devoid of real emotion.

He gave her a brief moment as her inner muscles stretched to accommodate his length. It must have been part of Selene’s orders, knowing she was a virgin until a few moments ago. There was some initial discomfort, but it quickly faded. Him going down on her first had gotten her so wet, allowing his member to slide into her with relative ease.

Once her tight folds adjusted, Hector dug his knees and feet into the training mat under him and began moving his body in a succession of sexual movements. With each motion, she felt his cock slither within the folds of her pussy, her womanly heat surrounding his manly length. Cindy clung to his arms, holding on as her body rocked in accord with his. She still kept her eyes closed, focusing only on the sensations of pleasure and not the fact that she was fucking some mindless servant that had been made to look like her ex-boyfriend.

_‘He’s not Hector. He’s just a mindless, passionless hunk of flesh…one that just happens to feel like the man I once knew. And God, it feels good! It’s so fake, but…it feels good.’_

There was no way around it, but Cindy was beyond caring. Having resided herself to the fate that Ezekiel and Selene had ordained, the most she could do was enjoy the pleasurable sensations that came. It wasn’t the most romantic, passionate kind of sex that she’d wanted for her first time, but it still felt good.

Hector – or whatever the hell he was supposed to be, not that it mattered – did his part to the letter. He fucked her at a steady, thorough pace. He was slow at first, being careful with each thrust. As Cindy soaked in the feeling, she encouraged him to go faster, lifting her hips to supplement each motion and allowing her hands to roam over his upper body. She found herself pawing and caressing various parts of his manly flesh, feeling around his muscles and skin.

It intensified the feeling and not just because of the sexual sensations that came with it. That hot feeling – the intimate touching of someone’s naked skin – was something she hadn’t experienced much since she arrived on the island with Ezekiel and Selene. There were no hugs from her parents or playful roughhousing with her brother. It left her feeling isolated and alone. Just being able to touch someone intimately, even if they were just fake manifestation of her ex, helped fill part of that void.

The pleasure from their sex made the feeling more complete…at least as complete as she could hope for, given her circumstances. It still did the trick in terms of guiding her towards her peak. It didn’t come quite as quickly as she’d hoped, but it was within reach. It would just take more effort than she’d hoped for her first time.

“Hector,” Cindy said as their sweaty bodies rocked, “I…I want to be on top. Please…let me ride you until I come.”

“Yes, my darling Cindy,” Hector said in his obedient tone.

Once again, Hector did as he was told without hesitation. He briefly ceased his thrusting, grabbed onto her waist, and pulled her into an upright position, his dick remaining inside her pussy. He then laid down on his back, keeping his hands on her waist and allowing her free reign.

At that moment, an unexpected rush of energy overtook Cindy. Now straddling Hector’s waist, her knees and toes digging hard into the mat, she gyrated her hips and worked his dick inside her pussy with greater vigor. She was much less careful than he’d been, establishing a harder, faster rhythm. She ended up placing both hands on his chest, leaning forward somewhat and holding on for leverage. It led to greater surge of sensations, coursing up through her body in sharp surges of pleasure.

“Yes! Ooh yes!” she grunted in between fervent motions. “I…I’m close. I’m going to…come!”

“Cindy,” Hector said distantly.

“Shut up!” Cindy yelled. “Don’t say anything. Juts…let me come!”

That outburst surprised her, but in the heat of the moment, it was necessary. She couldn’t stand that flat, impersonal tone of his. She didn’t need another reminder that the man she was fucking wasn’t Hector…or even a sentient man, for that matter. He was just as shell meant to evoke the necessary feelings of lust. If that was the best Cindy could hope for after losing her family and freedom, then she might as well embrace it.

Keeping her eyes closed, focusing only on the sensations flowing through her, she rode the rigid cock of the figure under her, her pelvis rhythmically smacking against his as she worked her pussy along the length of his shaft. As her peak drew near, she used one hand to fondle her clit while keeping the other on her chest. After a few hard gyrations, she finally sent herself over the edge.

“Ohhh I’m coming! I’m coming!” Cindy cried out.

Hector, still obedient from earlier, remained silent as she threw her head back and let out a cry of ecstasy that echoed throughout the training room. Her back arched and her pussy throbbed in accord with her sexual release. Hot waves of pleasure erupted from her core, spreading throughout her body and covering her in an orgasmic bliss.

For a brief moment, Cindy wasn’t trapped on some mansion on a hidden island, trying to evade some immortal vampire. For a moment, she wasn’t some unlucky young woman who got bit by a spider, had her life upended, and had to send her family into hiding in order to protect them. Instead, she was just a young woman enjoying the basic pleasures of the flesh.

Sure, it involved fucking a lifeless, soulless hunk of male flesh meant to look like her ex-boyfriend. It also came courtesy of Selene and Ezekiel, who had total control of her fate. They might have controlled almost every aspect of her life so far, but at least there was one feeling she controlled.

_‘It feels good…so warm and smooth, like silk all over my skin. God, I needed this! Hell, I’m going to need a LOT of this to stay sane here.’_

Cindy lingered in that orgasmic state for as long as her body allowed. When it finally passed and her body settled, she let out deep sigh and opened her eyes. Hector was still under her and his dick was still in her. He still had that vacant, soulless look in his eyes. It limited the amount of intimacy and affection she could feel. However, it was still pleasurable in just the way she needed.

“You can…speak now,” Cindy told him.

“Thank you, my darling Cindy,” Hector said flatly.

“Just…Cindy,” she said while still catching her breath. “From now on, call me Cindy…and say as little as possible. Got that?”

“Yes…Cindy.”

The man – shell or no shell – learned quickly. Cindy even laughed somewhat, finding the whole situation somewhat humors. At that moment, she realized she hadn’t just fucked some mindless male drone. She basically fucked a personalized sex toy, one that looked and felt like a man she’d been attracted to before.

Rising up off his cock, Cindy laid down on top of the naked man, resting her head on his chest and pretending that she and Hector had just made love on their prom night. It didn’t matter that it was all a farce. If the illusion of intimacy was all she could control, then she would take it.

“I’m going to lay with you like this for a while,” said Cindy. “I want you to hold me…as though you’re my actual lover.”

“Yes, Cindy,” the man replied simply.

“Then, after my brain catches up with my body…I’m going to fuck you again. I’m going to fuck you as much as I want…as hard and as long as I need. You’re doing to do exactly as I say…help me feel what I want to feel, if only in part.”

“Yes, Cindy,” he said again.

She let out another sigh, still smiling to herself. It might have been the afterglow from her orgasm, but the implications of what she’d done was starting to set in.

To some extent, Cindy now had something few women with a healthy sex drive could boast…a perfect, inexhaustible sexual outlet. Something about that excited Cindy. Having had so little control of her life since that spider bit her, just having some level of control over one aspect of her life felt liberating. If she was to maintain her strength and her sanity, then she had to hold onto it. That way, if she ever regained some control of her life, she would be ready.

* * *

**Abandoned Shaw Industry Office Park – Present Day**

“I’m not sure I’m ready for this,” Cindy wondered out loud as she paced anxiously

“You’ll be fine, Cindy. We’ve made sure of it,” said Peter, who stood nearby and not nearly as anxious. “Between Mary Jane’s connections, my history with Ezekiel, and this only-slightly-crazy plan of ours, we’re in good shape.”

“I believe that. You and Mary Jane have given me plenty of reasons to trust your word.”

“I like to think that’s also a byproduct of having sex on an office desk.”

“Which is why that’s not the reason I’m feeling so _tense_ about this,” Cindy said, hugging her shoulders and clinging to whatever strength she could. “I believe in this plan. Everything beyond that, though – my future, my family, and my life, as a whole – I’m trying not to get ahead of myself, but _that’s_ something I’m still trying to grasp.”

Cindy stopped pacing for a moment and gazed out into the stormy skyline in the distance. It was amazing how much bigger the world seemed after being cooped up on an island for so long. She was still getting used to all the changes she’d seen, from the new buildings that had popped up throughout Manhattan to the glut of coffee shops that seemed to line every street. Even when there was so much in the present to process, she couldn’t stop dwelling on the future.

Peter remained close, but gave her space. Part of that was to keep their respective spider senses from triggering certain _reactions_. That was something they were still working on. For their plan to work, they couldn’t get distracted by the insatiable desire to fuck each other. Cindy still saw that as a minor issue, though. Everything beyond that concerned her more and not just because she didn’t like that her favorite pizza place had gone out of business.

_‘I’ve lost so much time. I’ve lived so long under someone else’s thumb. I’m not free from Ezekiel yet, but I still feel…uneasy at the idea charting my own fate. Did spending all those years trapped on that island destroy my ability to live free and control my own life? I want to believe I’m mentally stronger than that, but…’_

Cindy closed her eyes and tried to slow her racing thoughts. She had more immediate concerns, after all. Before she could start controlling her life, she had to free herself from Ezekiel. She didn’t expect that to be easy.

Upon opening her eyes, she looked down at her reflection in a puddle. Already, she saw someone who didn’t resemble the same woman who’d been living in some secluded mansion for nearly a decade. Instead, Cindy saw someone who might have what it took to fight alongside Spider-Man.

That included a new costume, courtesy of Mary Jane Watson. The skin-tight, full-bodied attire with silver-colored web embroiders on the front and a red bandana mask around her face fit her nicely. Peter revealed that it had actually been a costume he and Mary Jane had used with sexual role playing. He even told her the inspiration of the costume was a cross between Elektra, Wasp, and Black Cat. Cindy chose not to probe for too many kinky details beyond that.

However it had been used before, the costume was now hers to define. I fit her nicely a few adjustments. Having seen how Peter had used his powers from that spider bite to do so much good as a costumed hero, it seemed fitting that she follow suit. If nothing else, taking on Ezekiel would reveal whether she had what it took to embrace that responsibility.

“For the record, I genuinely believe that there’s a larger fate at work here…just not to the same _insane_ extent as Ezekiel,” Cindy said, breaking the silence.

“Yeah, it’s amazing how one old man can make another four-letter f-word seem so vulgar,” Peter replied.

“I mean it, Peter,” she said, still staring at her reflection. “Sure, I don’t buy that the spider that bit us was part of some elaborate act of destiny in the mold of the Matrix…if that’s still a thing.”

“People are back into Star Wars, actually, but that’s another story.”

“Whatever you want to call it, I don’t think it runs _that_ deep. I still think there’s something to it, though. I mean…that spider bit _us_. The powers we got, the way they affected our lives, and how it eventually led us back to this – and yes, I’m including the sex with all that.”

“A minor, but still important detail,” Peter quipped.

“Whatever you want to call it – fate, destiny, or just a mind-blowing string of coincidences – our fates are still linked. Everything that happens now and everything that happens after, they’ll always be linked. For someone who just barged in on you and forced herself into your life…well, I wouldn’t blame you if that seemed overwhelming. It may even be a little annoying.”

She turned to face him. He remained so poised in his Spider-Man costume, as though overwhelming and annoying forces in his life were no big deal. She was a long way from wielding that strength, but the fact he’d done so much already spoke volumes.

Risking both a distraction and the kinky side-effects of their spider senses, Peter took a step closer and offered her a comforting gesture. It evoked more than just her hormones, though. In his touch, she felt both understanding and strength.

“You’re right, Cindy. Our fates _are_ going to be tied together from here on out,” Peter said, “and not just because we’ve seen each other naked.”

“That doesn’t make it less _overwhelming_ in the grand scheme of things,” Cindy said.

“I don’t disagree,” he replied, “but if it’s all the same to you, Cindy…I’d like to see where that fate takes us.”

Even under his mask, she sensed him smile. Maybe that was another effect of having a spider sense like him, being able to sense the sincerity of his emotions. She smiled back at him through her mask, hoping he picked up on the sentiment as well. If their fates were going to be entwined for the foreseeable future, then they might as well make the most of it. After all the time she’d missed, there was no way she could do it alone, especially with Ezekiel still at large.

As they stood together on the rooftop, doing their best to keep each other strong without making one another too horny, Cindy felt her spider sense go off. Unlike before, though, there was nothing sexual about it. Sensing Peter tense up as well, she assumed it wasn’t just her.

“Spider sense…you feel that too?” she asked.

“My pants don’t feel any tighter so I’m going to say time’s up,” said Peter, immediately taking a more defensive position.

Sharing his urgency, they both scanned the area for potential threats. Peter also activated the special communications link they both had that connected to Mary Jane.

“You reading me, Red Queen?” he said. “I think the first part of our plan is working and it’s giving us some very _unsexy_ feelings.”

 _“I hear you, Spider King,”_ replied Mary Jane, _“and if you two are still within ten feet of each other, that’s pretty telling.”_

“Hey, we haven’t been _that_ impulsive,” said Cindy, rolling her eyes.

_“And as it just so happens, I just arrived at our friendly Doctor’s office. He tells me there are some nasty disturbances heading your way.”_

As soon as she said that, Cindy’s spider sense went off again and it was even stronger than before. She could feel the air around her getting colder, like there was an electricity in the air. Looking back towards Peter, she already sensed that agitation the Red Queen mentioned.

“Well, we knew this was going to get messy,” said Cindy. “The old man was patient with a lot of things, but not with _this_.”

“That’s fate and luck at their most annoying,” groaned Peter. “Tell me, Red Queen…is this going to mess up our time tables?”

_“I’m still working on that with the good Doctor. I’m probably going to owe him some favors after this, but even he knows a disturbance like this could…”_

That was all she got out before the link went dead. At that same moment, she and Peter noticed a thick reddish mist descending over the office campus. Within minutes, the entire area was blanketed, so much so that they could no longer see the city skyline in the distance. At that point, they didn’t need a spider sense to know that danger was lurking.

“Well, _that’s_ not ominous at all,” said Peter dryly.

“To be fair, I warned you that he’d cut off all lines of communication,” said Cindy. “That was how he kept me from reaching out to anyone on that island.”

“Which is why we prepared for this,” he said, clenching his fists in anticipation. “For once, I’m ready for Ezekiel’s crap. I gotta say…it feels weird.”

“That still assumes your girlfriend will follow through on her end in time…although, ahead of schedule might be better.”

“Oh I’m not worried about that,” Peter said confidently. “Mary Jane will get the job done and probably look sexy as hell while doing it. It’s just a matter of buying time and not getting killed too quickly.”

“Right,” Cindy muttered, “nothing to worry about _there_.”

His confidence in Mary Jane showed, as did his experience as Spider-Man. That didn’t make the spectacle around them any less daunting.

Having worked under the assumption that Ezekiel would come after her after she escaped the island, Peter and Mary Jane made it a point to lead him away from populated areas or loved ones. Luckily for them, there was old office development once run by Shaw Industries located outside Manhattan just north of the Bronx. Emma Frost had already scheduled that campus for demolition, having absorbed much of Shaw’s assets. She even encouraged extra collateral damage in a text she sent them before they left the Hellfire Club.

It still wasn’t ideal, in Cindy’s mind. As she watched the red mist surround the area, she already felt boxed in. The campus itself was lined with fences and security barriers, which she figured was a standard practice for shady companies like Shaw Industries. Within that barrier, there were several buildings surrounding a central plaza. She and Peter had been waiting on top of the tallest building, but as the mists got bigger and thicker, their position no longer seemed tenable.

“Uh…not that you should start worrying,” said Cindy, “but I’ve seen this trick before. I think Ezekiel is sending us a message.”

“Any chance he just send a – oww, fuck!” Peter exclaimed.

He didn’t get the message soon enough. Whether by confidence or foolishness, Peter tried to reach out and touch the mist. That resulted in a singed hand. Having dealt with that mist during her training on the island, Cindy knew how much it burned. She immediately got ahead of Peter and jumped off the building before the mist consumed them.

“That message clear enough for you?” said Cindy as she descended the building on a line of webbing.

“Very,” groaned Peter. “Next time, please warn me. My spider sense can only do so much.”

 _“And yet you still refuse to listen to its insight,”_ came a booming, but familiar voice through the mist, _“and now it’s too late.”_

Cindy felt a twinge of dread and outrage upon hearing that voice. Almost immediately, she set aside her concerns about the years of her life she’d lost on that island and the prospect of forging a new fate. Now, it was all about settling a score with Ezekiel Sims.

With the red mist still swirling around the buildings, she and peter landed on the outer edge of the plaza. By now, they couldn’t even see the barriers surrounding the site or the rain clouds above. Ezekiel had really pulled out all the stops. He did not want them to get away. That was just fine with Cindy, though. That meant he couldn’t escape either.

“Ezekiel!” Cindy shouted. “Show your face so I can take out the last decade’s worth of anger on it!”

 _“Oh Cindy, is that hate really justified at this point?”_ Ezekiel replied, his voice still coming from every direction.

“Guess we won’t know until I start punching, will we?”

_“Keep attacking the Web of Fate all you want. It won’t change anything. What I did for you had a purpose. What I’ve done for Peter had a purpose too.”_

“For us or to us?” retorted Peter. “There _is_ a difference, Sims. Either get a dictionary or get ready to take extra punches!”

_“Speak for yourself. With all the damage you’ve done to the web lately, this encounter is overdue!”_

He sounded both desperate and angry. Cindy had never heard such a tone in Ezekiel. He’d always been so calm, cold, and calculating, carrying himself like a man who genuinely believed that fate was on his side. She figured that fate turning against him had left a hell of an impact.

As she and Peter stood near the stoop of the main building, Ezekiel emerged from the mist across the plaza. He actually looked worse than his voice had implied. His hair was longer and more disheveled. His clothes were wet, wrinkled, and ill-fit for someone who was supposed to be a wealthy businessman. Even from a distance, Cindy could see a glint of unhinged outrage in his eye.

“Whoa,” said Peter, “rough day at the office, Sims? You look like you lost a fight with a pack of sewer rats.”

“Spider-Man,” Ezekiel said angrily, “still making light of forces you can’t hope to understand.”

“Hey, would you have me any other way?” he teased.

“Shut up!” the old man barked. “There are _many_ things about my current predicament I’d prefer to change.”

“I bet one of them involves a shower and a shave,” said Peter.

“Unfortunately, I’ve neither the time nor the patience to rebuild the broken pieces of my own fate. I came here because I’m low on options and strapped for time. However, I’ve still some _leverage_ that I intend to exercise.”

His gaze then narrowed on her. Despite his current condition, he still looked down on her as though he still controlled her. Cindy had grown to hate that a lot over the years. In that moment, she could no longer restrain herself.

“To hell your leverage!” she shouted.

“Cindy, wait!” urged Peter.

He wasn’t going to stop her. Nothing short of Galactus would’ve stopped her from attacking Ezekiel at that moment. All the training and discipline she learned on that private island disappeared as she charged towards the old man with violent intent. Despite his age and demeanor, he easily evaded her. That didn’t stop her from attempting to strike him.

“Errr! Hold still!” Cindy yelled.

“So reckless,” said Ezekiel, sounding only slightly annoyed as he avoided her attack. “I trained you better than this, Cindy.”

“No! You lied to me!” she exclaimed. “You used me…took me from my family…took away my life!”

“All for a purpose,” he said. “It was always for a purpose.”

That just pissed her off even more. She’d heard that excuse for years. She refused to accept it a second longer.

Cindy let out another angry cry before trying to grab Sims by the neck. Instead of just evading, he countered with an elbow to the gut. It stunned her for a brief moment, just long enough for him to grab her by the arm and throw her across the plaza. Peter managed to catch her, but not before the sting of more than just the attack set in.

“Argh!” she grunted. “That all you got?”

“Don’t, Cindy!” urged Peter while holding her back. “I know every word he says makes you want to punch him, but just…don’t give him the satisfaction.”

Cindy knew what Peter was trying to do. She even agreed with it. Her attack on Ezekiel might be detrimental to their plan. She’d warned Peter and Mary Jane that she was probably going to lose her cool if the old man tried to justify what he did to her. Plan or no plan, she wanted to land at least a few good blows on him. She owed as such to her family.

“You should’ve known better,” Ezekiel said, landing in the center of the plaza and hardly breaking a sweat. “I trained you…taught you…mentored you. I put you in a position to be part of something so much greater.”

“Then why don’t you hold still so I can show you how _grateful_ I am?” she said dryly, still restrained by Peter. “Seriously, did you expect I’d _never_ find out?”

“I expected more than fate allowed, I’m afraid. Selene and I never finished what we started. We had such grand plans…for you _and_ your family. If we had more time, then your concerns about my lies would’ve been _trivial_.”

That just pissed her off even more. She tried hard to break from Peter’s grasp, unable to hold back her anger over what he’d done to her. She didn’t try as hard as she could’ve, but Ezekiel just kept pushing her buttons.

“Careful with your choice of words, Sims,” Peter warned him. “I could always let her go.”

“That would be just as trivial,” he said flatly. “Those plans included you too, Peter.”

“Now I really want to let her go _and_ maybe join her.”

“Your fates were always connected,” he went on, “sent down an inescapable path the moment that spider bit you. For Cindy, that meant going one way. For you, that meant going another. You were always going to find each other. Your lives were bound to become _intimately_ entwined at some point.”

“Yeah, we already experienced _that_ part,” Peter said under his breath.

“Everything was working so well. I saw how your fate was unfolding, Peter…how loss, isolation, and worry had filled you with doubt and dismay. It was supposed to culminate, ending with you, me, and Cindy taking our rightful place within the Web of Fate. Then, something unexpected happened…something I still cannot entirely explain.”

Peter loosened his grip on her. Cindy shook him off, but instead of attacking Ezekiel in a blind rage once more, she turned to Peter. Even through his mask, she saw the impact of the old man’s words. They struck him hard, as though he knew the implications more than she did.

Cindy still didn’t buy into Ezekiel’s ramblings on fate and plans, but the idea that something came along to disrupt that elaborate plan he’d worked so hard to pursue. Had she not been so pissed at him for what he did to her family, she might have tried to attack again. However, even she couldn’t help but be curious at the implications.

“Something…or someone,” Peter mused.

“Someone?” questioned Cindy.

He had clearly made a connection that Ezekiel hadn’t. She was tempted to probe further, but thunderous rumble from the swirling red mist interrupted. Finally, the old man’s stoic demeanor faltered. His eyes flashed red for a brief moment, reflecting a rage that she’d never seen before.

“It doesn’t matter what disrupted the web,” Ezekiel said. “All that matters is putting everything and everyone back on their rightful path.”

“If that involves me kicking your ass and you telling me where my family is, then sign me up,” said Cindy.

“Unfortunately, we’re past the point of doing things the easy way or the hard way, for that matter,” he said. “You see, running from fate is like running from a hungry predator. You can run as hard and as fast as you want. It’ll only make the predator even hungrier.”

Cindy clenched her fist, ready to launch a second attack again that might finally shut him up. Then, just as Peter looked inclined to join, Ezekiel reached into his tattered coat and retrieved something that looked like a fancy jewelry box. From a distance, it didn’t look like much. Before Cindy could even recognize it, her spider sense went off at an intensity she’d only ever felt a few times before. Unfortunately, that intensity offered a chilling clue as to what that box contained.

“Oh God, no!” Cindy gasped. “Please…don’t let this be what I think it is.”

“Ugh! Spider-sense is going crazy!” Peter exclaimed, clutching his head. “What the hell is that thing?”

“Not what…who,” she said.

Dread replaced outrage as she watched Ezekiel open the box, unleashing a column of reddish light into the stormy skies above. The winds howled louder and the red mist surrounding the campus spun faster, like a miniature cyclone. It got so intense that it forced her and Peter back. They had to stick to the floor, just to avoid getting swept off their feet.

As she struggled to maintain her balanced, Cindy watched as the column of light coalesced around an area just in front of Ezekiel. From that area, a figure emerged…a very tall, very imposing, and very terrifying figure that had haunted her nightmares for years.

“Is that…” began Peter, his voice echoing with the same dread.

“It is,” she affirmed. “It’s Morlun!”

* * *

**Hellfire Private Island – Years Ago**

“Please…don’t make me watch this again,” Cindy begged, having long since passed the limits of her mental fortitude.

“You’ll keep watching and you’ll keep enduring,” said Selene, her voice devoid of compassion.

“I know it’s troubling, my dear,” said Ezekiel, sounding only slightly sympathetic. “I’m afraid it’s necessary, though. You still agonize over living here on this island, separated from your family and the life you knew. Sometimes, we need to remind ourselves why things must be as they are.”

Cindy fought to keep her mind, body, and soul intact. That wasn’t easy while sitting in a chair, her wrists and ankles shackled while a collar-like restraint held her head in place. It forced her to look directly ahead at a large monitor the size of a screen at a movie theater. On it, a succession of horrifying videos played out before her, each filled with imagery that disgusted and terrified her to the utmost.

It wasn’t some horror movie or snuff film, though. According to Ezekiel, they were visions from alternate futures and alternate universes. Specifically, they focused on her fate and that of her family. Having been bitten by that spider, granted powers that Ezekiel and Selene claimed connected her to some mystical Web of Fate, she became a target for an immortal vampire named Morlun.

That monster, a creature born of every vampire trope and monster movie, just happened to have a taste for those with spider powers. He even traveled the multiverse, finding future and alternate versions of those with powers to feed on. Anyone who resisted or got in his way was slaughtered without mercy. Cindy wouldn’t have believed it if it weren’t playing out before her eyes, her spider sense constantly going off to let her know the danger was real.

_‘My mother…murdered. My father…tortured. My brother…held up in front of me so I can watch him scream in agony before Morlun snaps his neck. Then, he feeds on me and I die. I die knowing my family suffered because of me.’_

It was part of the training Ezekiel and Selene had planned for her, constantly reminding her of the threat Morlun posed and letting her know just how much her loved ones would suffer if she tried to fight him without their help. Showing her those horrible visions helped get the point across while also making her think twice about defying them.

According to Ezekiel, _every_ effort in every timeline and universe where she tried to fight him ended in failure. At first, she thought he’d been lying and all the horrific imagery was just one of Selene’s illusions. However, her spider sense – the same special ability that warned her of real danger at every turn – told her that what she saw was real. Those insights into other worlds and futures painted a clear picture. Morlun was destined to kill her and her family.

“Consider me reminded,” Cindy said, still shuddering as the gruesome scene played out on the screen.

“And you didn’t faint or throw up, this time,” said Selene, not at all put off by the brutal imagery. “I’d call that progress.”

“There’s still room for improvement,” Ezekiel pointed out. “Her mind and her spirit will have to be hardened for what we have planned.”

“She’ll get there. I sense she’s closer than you think. She’s grown so much since she first arrived, training and learning more than she could ever achieve on her own.”

“That might be the greatest complement you’ve ever given me,” said Cindy, still hiding her disgust. “It may even be the _only_ one.”

“You’ll receive more praise when you’ve earned it,” Selene said coldly. “Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of unlimited time. Fate is unfolding faster than I’d hoped and that means you need to be ready sooner.”

“That also means you must harden yourself faster,” added Ezekiel.

“I just spent the last two hours watching some immortal vampire god slaughter me and everyone I love multiple times. How the hell do you expect me to do _that_?” asked Cindy with a mix of disgust and bitterness.

Ezekiel turned towards Selene and nodded. The raven-haired woman just cast her that ominous grin of hers, the kind that made her shiver in a way on par with her spider sense. Then, with dread and disgust still plaguing Cindy’s mind, the Black Queen snapped her fingers and one of the Hellfire Club servants that had accompanied her to the island acted.

In short order, the door to the theater chamber, as she called it, opened and the Hellfire Club servant escorted a familiar figure towards her. It was Hector again – or, more accurately, a mystical clone of him. Cindy had grown very familiar with him, having relied on this perverse manifestation of her first boyfriend as an _intimate_ outlet for quite some time. She doubted that was healthy for her psyche. From the looks of it, Selene and Ezekiel wanted her to strain her mental health even more.

“Suddenly, I regret asking that question so seriously,” Cindy said.

“It was still worth asking,” said Selene, “ _and_ worth answering, for that matter.”

She seemed humored by her reaction. The woman seemed to find humor in all things perverse and brutal. What she’d done with Hector once again raised the bar.

As the servant led Hector towards her, she saw that the Black Queen had prepared him for another _lesson_ , of sorts. Like usual, he was naked. For Cindy, seeing a man naked had long since lost its novelty. Selene must have sensed that and mixed things up a bit, dressing Hector in some light bondage gear. He had his wrists secured around his back with handcuffs, face obscured by a mask, and his neck wrapped in a leather collar.

If that weren’t kinky enough, the mask looked like the one Spider-Man wore, someone Ezekiel had required her to study since the day she arrived. He knew her spider sense linked him to her and that link extended to her libido. Seeing it on Hector, along with all the bondage gear, triggered an arousal that mixed with the lingering disgust from all the violent imagery she’d seen.

“Hello, Cindy,” Hector said flatly.

“Quiet!” barked Selene. “You’re in the presence of your Mistress. Can’t you see she’s distressed? As her slave, you will comfort her with your complete submission.”

“I…understand,” he replied, holding his head low like a dog that had just been disciplined.

After that harsh scolding, Hector obediently laid down on the cold floor just a few feet from her chair. Selene gestured towards the servant, who quickly disappeared from sight. She then walked over to hector, put her heeled boot on his neck, and narrowed her gaze on Cindy.

“What are you waiting for?” she asked her. “We’ve reminded you of how _unprepared_ you are to face Morlun. If you or your family are to stand a chance, you must grow stronger. You must seize control over your weakness and turn it into strength.”

“The opportunity is here before you,” Ezekiel added. “What are you doing to do with it, Cindy?”

The old man then pushed a button next to her chair, locking the shackles and restraints that kept her in the chair. Another round of graphic images played out on the screen before her. Again, she saw a vision of a potential future, one in which she tried to team up with Spider-Man to battle Morlun. Just as in the last video, they failed.

First, Morlun killed Spider-Man, snapping his neck and gorging on his blood. Then, he broke both her legs before attacking her parents, who cowered in horror in a corner. As that gruesome scene played out, more outrage and disgust filled Cindy. However, when she diverted her gaze down to Hector, so submissive and docile, another wave of feelings consumed her.

_‘I’m still so goddamn powerless. My family suffers. I suffer. I have no control over ANY of it. Not being strong enough…not having control…I hate it! So if I’m going to take control of my life, I need to start somewhere.’_

Cindy knew what she had to do. She didn’t need Selene barking orders or Ezekiel giving her subtext. She was too angry, upset, and driven to second-guess the implication.

Not caring that they were still watching – or that the video on the screen was still playing, graphic brutality and all – Cindy took off all her clothes. She made no effort to cover her body. She’d long since shed any semblance of modesty. It was one of the many byproduct of working closely with Selene for so long. Again, she doubted that was healthy, but Cindy was beyond caring.

“Hector,” she said strongly, “your dick better be hard in the next two minutes.”

“Yes, my love,” replied Hector in his usual loving tone that sounded so little like the Hector she knew.

“Shut up!” Cindy barked, sounding a bit too much like Selene. “You heard, Selene. I’m not your lover. I’m your fucking mistress! You exist only to serve me and God help me…I need to be served right now.”

Those words sounded like they came from a very different Cindy Moon. They echoed with a persona that Cindy didn’t have before she arrived on the island. That image of the scared young woman, having been separated from her family and confused by her newfound powers, had faded a lot as the months and years went by. Now, after so much training and conditioning, that woman had grown into someone else.

While that change in demeanor concerned her, Selene and Ezekiel seemed to approve. The Black Queen removed her heel from Hector’s neck and stepped back, giving her the room she needed to work.

“Well said,” Selene commented. “Not quite as commanding as I’d hope, but it’s a start.”

“She’ll learn,” assured Ezekiel as he stood next to her. “I sense she’ll pick this up faster than most.”

Cindy ignored their words and their gaze. She didn’t even ask them to leave. If they wanted to watch her fuck a magically-conjured sex slave wearing a Spider-Man mask that looked like her boyfriend, then that was their call. She doubted it was the kinkiest thing those two had ever done.

With Selene and Ezekiel watching on – the gruesome video feed still playing on the screen, as well – Cindy knelt down over Hector and eagerly grabbed his cock. She wasn’t gentle or affectionate with it either. She didn’t want romance, affection, or any of the other fake feelings she’d experienced with him. She wanted sex. Moreover, she wanted sex that _she_ could control.

“Get hard, Hector!” Cindy shouted, flexing her authority and drowning out the gruesome noise on the screen. “Your Mistress needs your cock.”

He remained silent, completely prone and obedient as she aggressively jerked him off, getting the blood flowing into his member so that it was fully erect. At the same time, she used her other hand to pleasure herself, getting her pussy wet for their pending sex.

Cindy ended up getting aroused faster than she thought she would. In fact, it was kind of disturbing how wet her pussy got while hovering over a submissive man as horrifying imagery of Morlun slaughtering her family kept playing out. It was like her body couldn’t tell the difference between dread, fear, and arousal. That or the act of controlling someone when she’d been controlled by Ezekiel and Selene since she arrived on the island got her juices flowing.

_‘I’m angry, frustrated, scared, determined, and horny…all at the same time. Fuck, I’m so messed up. But if that’s what it takes to match Morlun…’_

Cindy didn’t let her thoughts drift much further. It was probably best she not think too much about what she was doing or why. She just knew she needed some form of relief, both sexually and with exercising a sliver of control over her life.

With impressive obedience, Hector’s dick got fully erect just as her pussy got wet enough for sex. Then, not bothering with sentiment or setup, Cindy got on top of him. Planting both feet firmly at his side, her wet opening aligned with the tip of Hector’s dick, she grabbed hold of his waist and plunged her hips downward to drive his hardened flesh up into her depths.

“Yes!” Cindy exclaimed with a dominating gasp. “Hector…you are mine!”

The servile male figure beneath her responded with a submissive whimper. That might have been the best possible reaction for that moment. With his hands bound and her on top of him, she was in a position of perfect dominance. Cindy could do whatever she wanted to him and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

Being so in control filled her with a new energy, one that balanced out all the horror she felt after seeing visions of her failure against Morlun. Armed with that energy and her newfound control, Cindy began riding Hector’s dick hard. She didn’t bother working up to a rhythm or accounting for his comfort. As far as she was concerned, Hector was a servile pet and she was a queen. He existed to obey and satisfy her.

“Your cock…your body…my control,” Cindy moaned as she rode him. “This is what I need! Ohhh I need it so bad!”

That came off as more desperate than horny. It certainly didn’t help that she couldn’t completely ignore the video feed on the screen in front of her. Another vision from another universe had already begun playing out. In that world, she tried hiding her family in a remote area with SHIELD providing protection. It still wasn’t enough. Morlun found her, slaughtered the SHIELD agents, paralyzed her with a kick to the back, and slaughtered her family in front of her.

The sights and sounds of that gruesome scene only drove her to fuck Hector harder. She shifted her grip from his waist to his neck, almost choking him as she rhythmically slammed her pelvis down against his, pushing his cock up deep into her depths. It caused Hector visible strain. Cindy even felt him shudder and strain under her grip, but she showed no concern. He was her slave and she was his mistress. Her pleasure mattered more than his discomfort.

“That’s it, slave! Take it! Take my pussy!” Cindy barked. “Tell me you love fucking my pussy!”

“I love…fucking your pussy,” Hector said, choking on his words.

“What’s that? I didn’t hear you!” she shouted. “Say it louder!”

Cindy choked him harder while driving her hips down against his even faster, her pussy mercilessly squeezing his cock with every motion. Even through the mask, she saw Hector’s strain. It still did little to dissuade her.

“I love…fucking…your pussy,” Hector said, sounding both obedient and scared.

It was a strange feeling, controlling someone to the point where they actually feared her. Cindy almost forgot what that felt like. Ever since that spider bit her, she’d been scared. Ever since she learned about Morlun, she’d been consumed with fear and dread. At that moment, though, she didn’t feel any of those things. She only felt power, control, and pleasure.

“You were right, Ezekiel. She’s a fast learner,” Selene said, “almost too fast.”

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing,” he replied.

“To a certain degree,” she said.

That comment further emboldened Cindy. If she was doing something that caught the Black Queen off-guard, then she must have achieved something profound. For the moment, though, the only achievement she cared about was an orgasm. Between her anger, fear, and uncertainty over Morlun, a blissful sexual release seemed liked the only relief.

Still clenching Hector’s neck, Cindy grit her teeth as she pushed towards that baldy-needed peak. She worked her hips so hard that the sound of their naked flesh smacking together almost matched the sound from the video on the screen. She wasn’t moaning as much as she was growling, the sex feeling more like a battle than a simple act of intimacy.

Hector continued showing the strain. At one point, she even heard him whimper in some strange combination of pain and pleasure. She didn’t know men were capable of making such noises. It obscured what she thought she understood about the line between discomfort and ecstasy. The fact she had such control over both helped give her the push she needed.

“Yes! Ooh yes! I’m close, slave! Your mistress is about to come!” Cindy gasped. “You want your mistress to come?”

“Yes,” Hector said, his voice weak and strained.

“Louder! Say it louder, damn it!” she commanded.

“I want my mistress to come!” he exclaimed.

They echoed with the desperation of a man strained of air and will, reflecting the sheer extent of the control she had over him. At that moment, with her hand firmly around her neck and her pussy slithering along his cock, something profound happened.

Something in her mind and body changed. The imagery on the screen, which was still as graphic and brutal before, ceased to scare her. Just as she crossed into that special domain of orgasmic bliss, she looked up from Hector and at the screen. Whether by perfect timing or pure coincidence, she did so just in time to see Morlun kill her. That moment that usually evoked such terror, instead, came in conjunction with an orgasm.

“Ohhh yes!” Cindy exclaimed in that moment of control, power, and bliss.

She didn’t close her eyes. She didn’t look away from the oversized screen either. With her feet still squarely on the floor, she thrust her hips downward in a final motion, driving Hector’s cock up into her as far as it would go. Then, as the hot sensations surged through her, she felt the tight folds of her pussy clamp down on his cock.

Beyond the pleasure, though, Cindy felt something else that supplemented the feeling. For the first time since that spider bit her, she experienced something that made her feel stronger.

_‘I’m really doing it. I’m in control. I see you, Morlun…killing me, my family, and everyone I care about. I see it and I’m not afraid. I’m in ecstasy!’_

* * *

**Abandoned Shaw Industry Office Park – Present Day**

“The power of the spider…so close and succulent,” said Morlun, his menacing eyes glowing bright red. “I must have it!”

It was the voice and gaze that had haunted Cindy’s nightmares ever since that fateful day a radioactive spider bit her. The monster that terrorized her every other thought, forcing her away from her family and her old life, was now standing before her. It was the moment she’d been training for and dreading for years.

The moment was further intensified by a very distressing revelation. Ezekiel, the same man she’d trusted to protect her and her family, had been the one to release Morlun. As terrifying as it was to finally see Morlun, she was far more pissed off at what the old man had just done.

“You lying, manipulative piece of spider shit!” Cindy shouted through the dreary rain. “You had that monster imprisoned the whole fucking time?”

“And in a box you kept in your pocket, no less?” Peter added. “Even senility has its limits, Ezekiel!”

“Don’t pretend to understand what you can’t possibly know,” said the old man. “Morlun was always going to come. In that respect, I didn’t lie. In terms of circumstance and context, though…well, I had to stretch the truth in the name of fate.”

Cindy had heard enough. All she heard was that Morlun, the hulking monster that Ezekiel had used to control her for years, had been under his thumb the _entire_ time. It almost made too much sense. How else could he have known that Morlun would come for her if he didn’t somehow have him on a leash? She felt so stupid for not seeing it sooner, but was too pissed off to dwell on it.

Turning towards Peter, she made sure he saw the pure rage in her eyes. He didn’t even crack a joke. For a man who couldn’t resist cracking jokes, even when the Hulk was on a rampage, that said a lot. Even though they had a plan, they had room to adapt it. If she had an opportunity to make the old man pay, she was going to take it. She owed her family that much.

“I know what we have to do. Try to keep up!” Cindy said.

“I know we’re supposed to respect our elders, but…” Peter said before trailing off.

She didn’t wait for him to finish the remark. Channeling all her range and anguish, Cindy leapt into the pouring rain and set her sights on Ezekiel. Morlun reacted immediately, his glowing eyes flashing ominously as he flashed his vampire fangs.

“Your blood…so hot with rage,” Morlun seethed.

The imposing figure took to the air to stop her. Before he could get to her, though, Peter swung in and hit Morlun with a hard kick to the gut.

“Let the lady through, Edward Cullen!” Peter said. “Don’t tell anyone I know who that is, by the way.”

“Errr! More spider blood,” Morlun growled.

“You like it? I’m thinking of turning it into a fragrance,” he joked. “What do you think of the name, Ode Du Spider? Too fancy?”

Morlun attempted to counter Peter’s attacks, but didn’t land a single blow. They ended up tumbling to the pavement next to Ezekiel, who had already taken a defense stance and avoided Cindy’s attack as she came in.

She didn’t give him a chance to counter. As soon as she landed, Cindy unleashed a fury of punches, kicks, and every other kind of attack that she learned from years of training. The old man continued evading and blocking at every turn, but she didn’t let up. She didn’t care that he’d been the one who’d trained her. She was going to make him pay for all the lies, loss, and anguish.

“God…damn…you!” Cindy spat in between attacks. “Your lies…your fate…my life…god damn it all!”

“Your anger is justified, Cindy,” said Ezekiel, sounding like he’d barely broken a sweat, “but still misguided.”

“I…don’t…care!”

“You should,” he quipped.

Cindy tried to go right for the face, hoping to land the kind of punch that would’ve made her little brother cheer. Ezekiel still managed to block her. He also finally had a window to counter, using a split-second window with his enhanced reflexes to knee her in the gut and cause her to stumble back.

She barely felt it, still too pissed to feel pain. It put her on the defensive, though, allowing Ezekiel to fight back with some attacks of his own.

“I taught you…prepared you…even accommodated you,” he said in between attacks.

“Lies! Bullshit! And more lies!” Cindy shouted.

“Men lie. Fate does not,” the old man said before landing a blow to the shoulder, causing a nasty stinger.

“Aagh!” she gasped.

“You feel that?” he said. “That’s fate…without guidance.”

Cindy tried to counter, blocking another incoming attack with her non-injured shoulder. She then tried to charge him, pushing him back towards the swirling red mists. They even passed by Morlun and Peter along the way, who were locked in their own battle that involved Morlun relentlessly pounding his fists into the ground, leaving sizable potholes in the process.

Cindy kept ignoring him, remaining focused on Ezekiel. Even as the rain fell harder, she kept pushing herself past the pain, hoping it was enough to overcome the old man’s edge in experience. For a moment, it seemed to work. She managed to get him within a few feet of the swirling mist, even landing a couple of body blows with her firsts and foot.

_‘Mom…Dad…Albert…this is for you. I’m so sorry. That spider bit me. I chose to trust this asshole. He used you to control me. I promise I’ll make him pay! His control over me is NOT as strong as he thinks!’_

She imagined her parents and brother cheering her on as she attempted to break through Ezekiel’s defenses. He blocked more attacks, finally showing a little strain and frustration. It wasn’t much, but Cindy took it. She used it to keep pushing herself past the limitations and fear that kept her under his thumb for so long.

“I don’t…need…your…guidance!” Cindy yelled over the thunder echoing in the clouds above. “It’s over! I escaped! You _don’t_ control me!”

“Poor misguided, Cindy,” Ezekiel replied, “still thinking she controls her fate.”

“Control _this_!” she spat.

Cindy threw another punch as hard as she could. Ezekiel still blocked it, but she felt the bones in his arm crack. Even under the pouring rain, she heard it. The old winced, but barely faltered. Cindy tried to hit him again, hoping to break more arms. However, he managed to dodge it with his advanced reflexes. Having put so much force into the strike, she left herself vulnerable.

“So disappointing,” the old man said firmly.

Before Cindy could recover and strike again, Ezekiel grabbed the arm she tried to punch him with and threw her off-balance. Then, while she stumbled, he moved in and struck her several times, even using the arm she broke to strike back, as if to let her know she hadn’t hurt him as much as she’d thought.

She still tried to counter, but the old man was still one step ahead of her. He evaded another attack and slipped behind her. From there, he did a targeted take-down maneuver, striking her in the back of the legs and hitting her in the sternum, knocking the wind out of her and sending her falling to the ground.

Cindy hit the hard, wet pavement with a thud. It stung, hurting her spirit as much as her pride. She still shut it out and tried to get up. However, Ezekiel didn’t let her. Instead, he got on top of her, dug his knee into her back, and held her head down to the ground. It was a submissive move, one he’d taught her, no less. Apparently, she hadn’t learned as well as either of them had hoped. Now, she once again found herself under the old man’s power.

“You see, _this_ is why I sought you instead of Peter,” Ezekiel said to her, pushing down on her head and talking right into her ear. “You fight with such passionate. You fight like someone who has so much to lose. That’s because you do.”

“Lose? You…took _everything_ from me!” Cindy yelled as she tried to push back.

“Wrong,” he said. “I took nothing. I merely guided it. Your old life may have ended when that spider bit you, but much of it is still intact.”

“Intact?” she questioned.

“Your family is alive. Your parents and brother…they’ve been safe for years. Selene and I kept them safe because we knew you’d fight for them. Peter may have had his aunt and uncle, but fate already took his uncle. Taking his aunt wouldn’t have been enough to guide him.”

Cindy felt a fresh round of rage building within her. The mention of her family – the family he used to control her – made her want to pummel the old man until he was just a bloody stain on the pavement. At the same time, though, the mention of them being alive was enough to temper her anger.

“So I was just…convenient?” Cindy said bitterly.

“No,” Ezekiel said, “you were a blank slate…one with the potential to do so much more than run around in a costume, trying to right wrongs that do little to affect the Web of Fate. Peter was never going to have that impact, but you could have done all that and so much more.”

“You mean…for you!”

“You’re still not seeing the bigger picture!” he said angrily, pressing her face harder against the pavement. “You think that spider bite was just a random accident? That moment – the one that forever linked your fate and Peter Parker’s – was part of a much larger plan. You, me, and Peter were destined for something greater…something that got undermined by forces that even fate could not control.”

“Sucks for you,” she grunted, sneering at the old man.

He dug struck her again in the back, knocking the wind out of her again. Cindy choked for air, struggling to breathe as her faced remined pressed against the pavement. She kept trying push back, but Ezekiel kept her pinned. He’d controlled her life so much for so long. She didn’t expect him to give up that control easily.

She tried looking to Peter for help, but he was still struggling against Morlun and that struggle had already turned against him. Through the pouring rain, she saw the hulking vampire finally land a hit to the side that sent Peter flying across the plaza. He only barely evaded Morlun’s follow-up attack, which ended up shattering a good chunk of the concrete path under him and causing a miniature tremor throughout the area.

“Whoa!” yelled Peter as he stumbled back. “Been working out, Morlun?”

“I thirst…for your blood,” Morlun seethed.

“But lost your social etiquette, I see,” he said.

Peter attempted to get away, but Morlun took to the air again and struck him before he could regain his balance. That sent Peter falling to the ground hard, just like her. He managed to roll away to keep Morlun from pinning him, but was forced back onto the defensive.

“Uh…Cindy?” Peter said as he narrowly avoided another attack. “I hope you’re doing better! Morlun is…different from what I remember? He was more _personable_.”

“She can’t talk now, Peter,” said Ezekiel coldly. “Like me, Morlun has had to _adapt_ his fate. What he wants…what I want…it’s no longer possible. We’ve done things we hoped would not be necessary. We paid a price we didn’t want to pay. Rest assured, you’ll pay it too!”

“Uh…you still take checks?” quipped Peter, Morlun’s fist landing within inches of his head.

“You’ve run out of time and I’ve run out of patience!” the old man shouted. “You have no idea the kind of damage you’ve done to the Web of Fate. Whatever aberrations you’ve caused…whatever choices you’ve made…it ends today! One way or another, you both _will_ accept your fate. It’s only a matter of how high a price you’re going to pay.”

“So…no credit cards either?”

That remark earned Pete ran nasty hit from Morlun. It landed right in the torso, knocking the wind out of him as well and keeping him from making another remark. Cindy watched in dismay as he fell to the ground, just at Morlun’s feet. She groaned angrily and fought Ezekiel’s hold on her, but he refused to let up.

Leaning in again, Ezekiel grabbed her by the neck. His grip was hard and cold, showing both his desperation and his callousness. The calm, focused man who always carried himself as though fate was on his side vanished. In his wake stood a ruthless, determined man who refused to lose control over her.

“The goal was never to control you or Peter,” the old man said to her.

“Could’ve fooled me,” Cindy said, choking under his grip.

“It was always my intent to guide you. Within that ultimate fate, we all stood together willingly and eagerly. What we could’ve accomplished together…it’s a loss and an affront to the Web of Fate. I cannot and will not let that stand.”

Cindy tried to push him off again, but ended up choking for more air. Ezekiel struck her again in the upper back, sending a paralyzing sting through her body that made her wince under the pain. As that pain rendered her subdued, the old man picked her up and threw her across the plaza like a rag doll. She ended up landing right next to Peter, who received a swift to the gut from Morlun when he tried to get up.

“Aagh!” he exclaimed. “Hey Cindy. How’s…your day going?”

“Just peachy,” she groaned.

Lying prone on the wet concrete, Cindy rolled over and tried to get up. The lingering sting from Ezekiel’s blow only allowed her to get halfway. Peter remained on the ground too, clutching his side and coughing for air. Looking over at him, she could see the pain through his mask. Neither of them were in a condition to fight anymore. Ezekiel and Morlun had them down for the count.

Now barely on her hands and knees, Cindy looked up to see Ezekiel and Morlun walk up to them. They towered over her and Peter like titans, gazing down on them through the rain and mist. The man who she’d trusted so implicitly looked ready to end her on the spot.

“If you can no longer be guided towards fate, then you will be pushed,” Ezekiel said. “I didn’t want it to come to this, but you’ve left me no choice.”

The old man turned towards Morlun, whose eyes flashed bright red for a brief moment. His hands trembled and he showed his fangs, like a starving beast eager to gorge on an overdue meal.

“Do what must be done,” he told the hulking vampire. “You’ve waited long enough. We mustn’t waist a second longer.”

“So hungry,” Morlun seethed. “Spider blood…I must feed!”

His eyes still glowing, he showed the palms of his hands, revealing the special feeding mouths he used to consume his prey. Cindy knew all about them. They had been among the first lessons Ezekiel taught her on that island. When they started glowing bright pink, they showed he was ready to consume. According to Ezekiel, it was an agonizing, painful experience…one that made death seem merciful.

As thunder echoed overhead and lighting flashed across the sky, Morlun knelt down and prepared to feed on her and Peter. Then, just as his hand was within inches of them, she and Peter exchanged knowing glances.

“Finally!” said Cindy with relief.

“Took him long enough,” said Peter.

At that moment, Morlun stopped. It was like he’d suddenly hit an invisible wall. For someone with strength comparable to the Hulk, that said a lot. In addition, the glowing in his hands and eyes began flickering erratically, so much so that the hulking vampire began trembling.

“What’s happening?” demanded Ezekiel. “Why aren’t you feeding, Morlun?”

“The hunger…the binding curse…spirit no longer shackled!” said Morlun, his every word echoing with an inner struggle.

“The curse broken?” the old man gasped. “That’s impossible!”

“You’re right, old man. It is,” said Cindy, now grinning under her mask.

“Correction,” added Peter, “it’s impossible without these.”

Despite being sore and short of breath, she and Peter reached into the top parts of their suits to reveal that they’d been concealing a couple of matching necklaces. They were small enough to be unnoticeable under their costume, but large enough to contain a single item within a secure locket.

That item, which happened to be the final part of their elaborate plan, now glowed with a brilliant, rainbow-colored light. It clashed directly with the energy coming from Morlun, who stumbled back and continued howling in pain. He probably didn’t know what was going on, but judging by the look on Ezekiel’s face, he understood what was happening. He also probably knew his fate had just been sealed.

“Those stones,” Ezekiel said with a mix of horror and disbelief, “Asgardian rune stones, enchanted by the truth of Agamotto and forged from the light of Yggdrasil!”

“I prefer to call them the-key-to-screwing-over-Ezekiel jewels, but I guess that works too,” said Peter, grinning under his mask.

“This…this cannot happen!”

“Too bad, Ezekiel. It’s happening!” said Cindy with renewed strength. “You don’t control me anymore.”

“Cindy,” the old man said, now stepping back as Morlun grew more erratic, “you don’t understand. Everything I did for you…”

“Ended the second I escaped that island,” she said, cutting him off. “I knew you’d come for me. I knew you’d try to control me again. Well, guess what? That’s not going to happen. You were finished before this started. Now, it’s time to face _your_ final fate!”

* * *

**Up next: Forging Destiny**


	3. Re-Forging Destiny

** The Red Queen Chronicles: The Secret  
Chapter 3: Re-Forging Destiny **

* * *

**Sanctum Sanctorum – Earlier**

“How much longer, Doctor Strange?” asked Mary Jane Watson impatiently.

“Just a few more minutes,” replied Dr. Strange as he hovered in mid-air within a meditative state. “It might be longer than that if you continue interrupting, but considering what you’re asking for…I still consider this _expedited_ service.”

“I know and I’m sorry,” she said anxiously. “This all came up so suddenly. In my line of work, you need to react quickly to these things. Either you get screwed or you get to do the screwing.”

“A rather curious choice of words,” Dr. Strange quipped.

“I know what I said,” said the Red Queen, rolling her eyes, “and what it implies, for that matter.”

She saw the Sorcerer Supreme crack a smile, even in his focused state. He’d been at work for the past half-hour, mediating in the heart of the Sanctum Sanctorum’s enchantment chamber, granting her the favor she’d requested after her discussion with Cindy and Peter. Mary Jane hadn’t given him too many specifics, but he didn’t ask for them. He just wanted to know the type of mystical service she needed and the appropriate tools to deliver.

It nicely reflected the connections she’d forged throughout the superhero community. Since becoming the Red Queen and reforming the Hellfire Club, Mary Jane had established herself as both an influential ally of the hero community and a skilled provider of _personal_ services. She’d done plenty to endear herself to those within SHIELD, the Avengers, the X-men, and many other superhero teams. Other than banking plenty of favors from very powerful individuals, her efforts ensured those same individuals were eager to help at a moment’s notice.

_‘Helping out the good guys will earn their gratitude. Helping them get laid will earn their trust and their aid. Peter once said that as a joke, but it’s not nearly as funny when we need a very specific kind of aid. He’ll probably still laugh at how well this pans out because I do so much for superheroes’ sex lives. It still has to pan out, though.’_

Mary Jane didn’t want to assume too much, despite all the resources she had as the Red Queen and the trust she had with other heroes. Dr. Strange wasn’t a regular at the Hellfire Club, but he was aware of her and her eagerness to help the superhero community. To date, he hadn’t asked for much other than access to a few private suites for him and Clea. She imagined he’d want more after delivering on her urgent request.

As she restlessly paced around the enchantment chamber, she watched as two small Asgardian rune stones hovered steadily in a ball of glowing energy. Dr. Strange, his hands surrounded in a similar glow as he gestured towards the stones, directed that energy as only the Sorcerer Supreme could. For what Peter and Cindy needed, the effect had to be just as targeted.

They couldn’t leave anything to chance. Those two stones were among the most powerful that the Hellfire Club had in stock. Jean Grey, the one who’d ensured a steady supply of rune stones through her _intimate_ dealings with Thor, called the stones Shadow Breakers. She claimed there was a more official name for them, but it wasn’t worth learning to pronounce.

Jean had also said in a brief phone call that those stones were intended for serious emergencies of a mystical variety. Again, Mary Jane didn’t give specifics, but she convinced her fellow queen that such power was warranted. From what Peter told her about Ezekiel Sims and Morlun, overkill was the safest measure.

“That should do it,” said Dr. Strange, finally opening his eyes as the glowing around his hands faded. “I must admit I’m _impressed_ you got your hands on some Shadow Breaker Runes of Nornheim.”

“Be more impressed with Jean,” said Mary Jane. “She’s the one who set up this friendly exchange between Asgard and the Hellfire Club.”

“She achieves _that_ whereas I can’t even get Thor to lend me a bottle of wine from Alfheim,” he said. “That hardly seems fair.”

“Maybe that just means we in the Inner Circle know how to negotiate,” said the Red Queen with an innocent shrug.

“I’m sure that’s _all_ there is to it,” replied the Sorcerer Supreme, sounding unconvinced.

Mary Jane rolled her eyes. Dr. Strange had probably heard the same rumors as everyone else. Her _uncanny_ ability to acquire resources others deem unattainable was well-known. The lurid, but responsible way they went about attaining those resources was just as obvious. No one made too big a deal of it, especially when those methods proved so effective.

“You don’t need to know how we get mystical resources like this,” Mary Jane went on, “not unless you’re comfortable knowing our _kinky_ negotiating tactics.”

“I like to think being a doctor makes me more comfortable than most,” he said with a coy grin.

“Then, I promise to share the dirty details later,” said the Red Queen, “but first, I need to know these stones will do what you say they’ll do.”

“On that, I can assure you with the certainty of the Vishanti. The runes have been enchanted with the most potent disenchantment spell this side of the ten realms.”

“Ten realms? I thought there were nine.”

“There are ten now, but that’s another story,” said Dr. Strange. “On top of the disenchantment, both runes also have a blood barrier spell, one that has a very _particular_ effect on vampiric entities.”

“How particular?” Mary Jane inquired.

“Enough to incur the effect you seek and in a manner most jarring,” he said. “When you utilize such potent resources, you can expect equally potent effects.”

That was just what Mary Jane wanted to hear. Convinced of Dr. Strange’s assurances, she retrieved the hovering rune stones from the ball of light. The Sorcerer Supreme was still hovering in mid-air, not as focused as before, but still engaged. He knew the job wasn’t done, but the hardest part was over.

Looking down at the two runs, which stopped glowing in her hand, Mary Jane felt somewhat relieved. Peter and Cindy were waiting outside, ready to confront Ezekiel. Cindy was especially anxious. After everything Ezekiel took from her, she could hardly blame her. That was why they couldn’t just settle for cutting ties with the old man.

It was no longer enough to just to subdue someone like Ezekiel Sims, a man who used his power to manipulate and outmaneuver Spider-Man on numerous occasions. He and Cindy had the love, support, and resources of the Red Queen of the Hellfire Club. That meant any attack on Sims had to deliver a defeat that was both overwhelming and complete.

“Guess we’ll know soon enough,” said Mary Jane as she pocketed the runes. “I’ll get these to my associates and be back to watch the spectacle. From what I understand, you’ll still need to guide those effects when the time comes.”

“That will be the easy part for both of us,” said Dr. Strange. “I shall maintain the Crimson Flames of Xian in this chamber until the battle is complete. While you’re waiting, I suggest you contemplate how you’ll repay my generous efforts. You did say, if I recall, that the Hellfire Club would offer some _specialized_ services for my next large-scale fertility ritual.”

“I haven’t forgotten, Doctor,” Mary Jane replied with a wry grin. “Don’t worry. The Hellfire Club has every intention of repaying you in full and then some. Just remind Wong not to hide cameras in the vases again.”

“I’ll see to it he’s informed, Ms. Watson.”

“And I’ll remind him for good measure. The way I see it, if we’re going to help each other like this, then we should be responsible about it. Magic or no magic, our enemies sure won’t. The best we can do is remind them why that matters and how much it sucks when fate turns against them.”

* * *

**Abandoned Shaw Industries Office Park – Present Time**

“Ezekiel Sims…your blood…flowing with _lies_!” hissed an enraged Morlun.

“Stay back!” shouted Ezekiel, stumbling back as the hulking Vampire narrowed his gaze on him. “I bound our fates. I paid the highest possible price for this deal. We both did!”

“Sucks for you, Sims,” quipped Peter. “Guess that means we have deeper pockets than you. Now _that’s_ something I thought I’d never say with a straight face.”

Now back on his feet, Peter had shaken off the punishment he took from Morlun and was just enjoying the spectacle before him. Cindy enjoyed it too, if not more so. They were both watching a rare and beautiful sight. Ezekiel Sims – a man who prided himself on manipulating others and subverting destiny – had lost control of his fate. For once, Cindy got to see who Ezekiel was when he didn’t have all the leverage and power. It was jarring, but still pretty satisfying.

The glowing rune stones she and Peter had around their necks had done their part. They also confirmed Cindy’s suspicions about Morlun and the threat he posed. Ezekiel had used that threat to steal a huge chunk of her life and separate her from her family. While it was a relief to learn the truth, it still hurt on many personal levels.

As Morlun stammered uncontrollably, hissing and seething as the magic from the rune stones broke Ezekiel’s influence, Cindy shook off her own injuries and approached the old man. While he maintained a defensive, anxious poise against Morlun, her gaze narrowed on him. She then removed her mask so that he could see her face and all the emotions it conveyed.

“I always had a feeling you weren’t telling the truth, Ezekiel,” said Cindy. “Even in the early days, I suspected you weren’t giving me the whole story. I still believed you because I believed the threat against me and my family was real.”

“Cindy…it’s not too late,” said Ezekiel, showing more fear than she’d ever seen him show.

“I was young, confused, and scared,” she went on. “I had a great family and a great life. To you, that was just leverage. You used that against me!”

“I saved you!” he shouted as Morlun inched closer. “Without me, you _and_ your family would be dead!”

“See, that’s what _really_ disgusts me,” Cindy said, “because I believe you. Morlun is real. That much is true. Chances are he would’ve found me if you hadn’t come along, just as he found Spider-Man on more than one occasion.”

“And I’ve got the bruises to prove it,” Peter added, who stood back. “Some of them _still_ hurt.”

“So, to some extent, I never had much control over my fate,” Cindy continued. “Either you were going to come along to take me away or Morlun was going to come along to kill me. I was never in a position to make my own choices or pursue my own fate…until now.”

It became real at that moment, the idea that she had control over her life and not Ezekiel. It was profound feeling, one that Cindy didn’t think she’d ever experience. For the first time in years, she didn’t feel afraid or uncertain.

Ezekiel quickly learned how harsh those feelings were. Morlun, his glowing eyes now flickering erratically, pounced on the old man. He tried to evade him using his reflexes, just as he’d done with her and Peter earlier. He avoided the first round of attacks, but took a devastating punch to the jaw with the second. He kept trying to evade, but that only enraged Morlun even more. He was already winded and Cindy could already see blood coming from his mouth.

“Your control over me ended the second I decided to leave that island,” Cindy shouted, making sure the old man still heard her. “You see, I had a feeling you were pulling Morlun’s strings to _some_ extent. Even if it was to protect me at first, it definitely changed at some point.”

“Cindy…call this off!” urged Ezekiel, narrowly avoiding another one of Morlun’s attacks.

“Sorry, but I’m not doing squat,” she replied with folding arms, “not after I uncovered those files from Selene that you’d been hiding from me.”

Ezekiel diverted his gaze from Morlun for a brief moment and looked towards her with a mix of dread and frustration. That proved to be another mistake because it allowed Morlun to get in and kick him right in the back. As Ezekiel fell flat on his face, Cindy tried not to enjoy it too much. She remained locked onto his disheveled form, intent on hitting him with the full, unabated truth.

“That’s right. I found out,” Cindy said with folded arms.

“Damn that woman,” he muttered.

“I don’t think she _meant_ to leave those files on that island. I don’t think she intended to fare so poorly when the old Hellfire Club fell, either.”

“You can thank/curse Emma Frost for that,” added Peter. “Trust me, you wouldn’t be the first.”

“They were encrypted, but everything essentially unlocked itself after she went down. That’s how I learned how you were manipulating Morlun. You and Selene were going to make him your new enforcer…a super-powerful, bloodthirsty vampire. You two had been working your magic even while you were training me. I’d be so pissed if it also weren’t so brilliant.”

Ezekiel muttered another string of curses that Cindy couldn’t make out. They might have been directed at Morlun too because he launched another attack, attempting to pin him on the muddy ground. The old man managed to roll out of the way. He attempted to counter as well, but Morlun proved faster and more determined.

After blocking his mid-air spin-kick, the imposing vampire hit him with a nasty gut-punch that sent Ezekiel falling to the ground in a heap of agony. He barely evaded Morlun’s follow-up attack, but could not get back to his feet. With each passing second, his fate turned against him.

“Brilliant, but still a dick move, Zeke,” said Peter. “By controlling Morlun, you controlled Cindy too. Having one to pit against the other means they can’t oppose you. They don’t even know there’s anything to oppose.”

“Even after Selene fell, you were still going to use Morlun against me,” Cindy said. “You might have even conjured a new round of lies to feed me. Maybe he got out and killed Selene. Maybe all those protection spells she put on the island had faded. Maybe Morlun teamed up with Thanos, Dr. Doom, and the Easter Bunny to hunt me down. You’d have said anything to maintain control.”

“What I did…what must be done…I had to do!” Ezekiel said, coughing up more blood.

“Not anymore!” Cindy shouted. “You claim to be such a big fan of fate. Time to see what happens when it finally catches up to _you_.”

That might have been the most satisfying sentiment of all, shoving Ezekiel’s fate right back at him. It had a much bigger impact on him. Cindy watched as his expression turned from one of frustration to one of utter dread. He had to know on some levels that his time had run out.

As that sentiment set in, Morlun attacked again and Ezekiel had run out of room to run. Still on his knees with blood streaming down his face, the powerful vampire finally grabbed him by the neck and held him up. The rain poured harder and his glowing eyes flashed again, reflecting a bloodlust that filled the old man with terror.

“The blood-bond…is broken,” Morlun said to him.

“No!” Ezekiel exclaimed. “If you do that, it’ll…”

Before he could finish, though, the terror took on a new form. The swirling red mists that had encompassed the area shifted, morphing into sparks of energy that shot up into the cloudy skies like geysers releasing their pent-up pressure.

For a brief moment, the skies above them was illuminated with a bright reddish tint. Lightning flashed around them, striking the areas just a few inches from where Morlun stood. Cindy remained just outside the boundary, having been warned about the latter parts of the rune stones’ effects. Peter remained close by, as well, keeping an eye on both Ezekiel and Morlun as the powerful scene unfolded.

“That would be Dr. Strange’s handiwork doing its thing,” said Peter. “I’m no Sorcerer Supreme, but when you mess with magic like this, it tends to get messy. Usually, that involves demons attacking, but I bet what you did to Morlun warrants more than a few angry demons.”

“Much more,” added Cindy, “and it’s not even up to us how much you’ll pay for your bullshit.”

“Although, given what happened to Selene, I’d be pretty damn worried,” said Peter.

Ezekiel groaned and struggled under Morlun’s grip. As the powerful creature held him up, the reddish lightning above shifted form again. Like a targeted wave of energy – another likely byproduct of Dr. Strange’s help – poured down upon the two figures.

A column of reddish energy then surrounded them, which quickly became concentrated in the ground under them. From the energy, a series of mystical symbols appeared and a portal opened. Within moments, they began sinking into it. Morlun didn’t move an inch or seem the least bit concerned. Cindy wasn’t even sure he was fully aware of what was going on, but that didn’t seem to matter to him. Every ounce of bloodlust had been focused on Ezekiel, the man who sought to control him as much as her.

As they descended, Ezekiel fought hard to break Morlun’s grip. It was no use, though. As he struggled, his gaze turned back to Cindy, his dread now mixed with desperation.

“Cindy…please,” he said desperately. “Listen to me!”

“There’s nothing more to say, Ezekiel,” Cindy said sternly. “You’ve got nothing else I want to hear.”

“There’s still time!” he yelled. “I…I still know where your family is. I can help you reunite with them! Just…help me.”

Cindy’s tough demeanor faltered. She had a feeling he would play that card at some point, using her missing family as leverage. She’d been bracing herself for it, but it still struck her more than she expected.

For a brief moment, Cindy was genuinely tempted. She thought about her family…her mother, her father, and her brother. She hadn’t seen them in so long. She didn’t know if they were alive, dead, or suffering. Ezekiel knew, though. He _had_ to know. That was the only way to fully regain control of her life, getting her family back so that no one could use them against her.

She turned towards Peter briefly, who just took a step back. He showed no inclination to affect her or her decision. He still cast her a sympathetic gaze through his mask.

“Do what you have to do, Cindy,” Peter told her. “This is _your_ choice.”

That once-distant notion – her having a choice, even when someone else had the leverage – sealed her decision. She gave Peter a nod and a weak mile, assuring him of what she’d decided. She then turned back to Ezekiel.

“No,” she told him. “I won’t.”

“Then…you’ve lost them forever!” he exclaimed as he sank further into the portal.

“Wrong again, old man. I didn’t lose my family. They were taken from me…used as leverage to control me. I won’t let you do that to me _or_ to them anymore.”

“Then, you’re dooming them to a dire fate!”

“And I’d doom us all if I gave you any control over that fate,” she said strongly. “Whatever you’ve done to them…wherever you’ve hidden them…I’ll find them. It’ll probably be harder and a lot more dangerous, but that’s my choice. And no matter what you say, choice is more powerful than any fate.”

Ezekiel shot her a look of anger and desperation. Hopefully, it would be the last look he ever gave her. By now, he and Morlun had sunk halfway into the portal. Morlun remained stoic, locked on the old man with a mix of hatred and hunger in his eyes. He didn’t seem to mind where the portal was taking him. Based on what Dr. Strange had told them, Morlun would have different priorities once Ezekiel’s control over him was broken. He also assured her that none of them involved harming her or her family.

Assured by the Sorcerer Supreme’s assessment, Cindy gave little thought to what that meant for Ezekiel. The man had lied, cheated, and manipulated everyone around him for so long, all in the name of fate. For too long, he’d avoided the consequences and responsibilities for all his misdeeds. Finally – and ironically, to some extent – his fate caught up with him.

“DAMN YOU, CINDY MOON! DAMN YOU, PETER PARKER!” yelled Ezekiel as he fought in vain to escape. “MAY THE WEB OF FATE DAMN YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES UNTIL THE END OF YOUR DAYS AND BEYOND!”

“Speak for yourself,” snarled Morlun, the portal starting to close around them.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that last part, Sims,” joked Peter. “Could you speak up a little louder? Maybe make it a catchy song or something?”

“I SWEAR I’LL…”

That was all Ezekiel could get out before descending completely into the portal. Both he and Morlun finally disappeared into the swirling pool of red energy, his words silenced and his hold over her completely gone. Having lived so much of her life under Ezekiel’s control, it was like a huge weight falling off her back.

“It’s over,” she said distantly. “It’s finally over. I’m free.”

“And before you ask, I promise we’re even,” added Peter. “I accept the hot sex we had on my desk this morning as payment.”

Cindy laughed at his remark, although not as much as she wanted. It was easy to forget how everything started with her seeking him out, revealing the connection they shared from that one spider all those years ago. The sex part was a secondary, albeit kinky side-effect. Thanks to him and Mary Jane, though, their collective efforts produced a uniquely satisfying result.

As the rain continued to pour, the mystical energy and mist that had surrounded the plaza steadily faded. A calm, surreal silence settled over the vacant office complex. She needed a good long moment for everything to sink in. It was overwhelming, the cathartic feeling of severing ties from Ezekiel Sims and taking control over her life…a life that she could finally live on her own terms.

_‘I did it. I’m finally in control now. It took me WAY too long, but I did it. Now, I’ve got to figure out how I’m going to make use of it.’_

* * *

**Hellfire Club – Later That Evening**

Shortly before she was bitten by that radioactive spider, Cindy had been the unwitting star in a frustrating game of field hockey. On that day, she played her worst game to date. She made a fool of herself, missing easy passes and shooting wildly. She also tripped over one of her teammates at one point, falling flat on her face and getting fresh mud in her mouth. To that point in her life, it had been a real low-point.

As one of the better players on her school’s team, there were lofty expectations of her. She left the field that day, muddy and bruised, feeling like she failed. Her father had been there to pick her up. Unlike her mother, who preferred she focus on schoolwork rather than athletics, he encouraged her to push herself. Even on her worst day, he greeted her with a smile and some words of wisdom that stuck with her.

_“Don’t worry about games like this, Cindy. Don’t forget about them either. Sometimes, we need to make mistakes, mess up, and even fail every now and then. You can’t be afraid, but you can’t lose control of yourself either. You’ll learn much more and you’ll get much stronger, in the process.”_

Cindy remembered rolling her eyes at that remark, focusing more on the ice cream her father promised her after the game. Years later – and after many more mistakes and failures, along the way – those words carried far greater weight. They made her even more determined to save her father, mother, and brother from whatever Ezekiel had done to them.

With Ezekiel now gone, finding her family was her top priority. To maximize her chances, though, she still had some logistical issues to work out. Once again, Peter and Mary Jane Watson offered the kind of help that only the Hellfire Club could provide.

“What’s the word, Mary Jane? Have Emma’s lawyers worked their magic?” asked Peter as he casually leaned against the Red Queen’s desk.

“As far as I’m concerned, their magic is _way_ more potent than anything Dr. Strange has ever done,” said Mary Jane, sitting behind her desk and looking over her computer screen.

“I won’t tell him you said that, but I have a feeling he wouldn’t argue.”

“After he conjures a lengthy, legally binding paper trail for someone who’s been missing for ten years, he’s welcome to try,” she said.

“For what Emma pays these people, Dormammu himself couldn’t do it,” Peter joked.

“And they earn every penny,” Mary Jane said as she hung up her cell phone. “I had Emma get this started before we left for the Sanctum Sanctorum. The fact they finished _this_ quickly at rebuilding a broken life is pretty amazing.”

While Peter and the Red Queen marveled at Emma Frost’s handiwork, Cindy continued pacing around the opulent office. After processing Ezekiel’s defeat, she and Peter returned to the Hellfire Club where Mary Jane was waiting for them. Her spirits were high and for good reason. She informed them that Dr. Strange’s spell had worked. Morlun and Ezekiel were gone and the gateway to the Interrealm Void, as he’d called it, was sealed.

That was welcome news, but Cindy was still too restless to celebrate. Freeing herself from Ezekiel had been only the first step. The next step – one almost as daunting – involved rebuilding the life he’d stolen from her. She’d been living on a tropical island for nearly a decade, isolated from the outside world and under someone else’s thumb. If she was going to help her family and rebuild her life, she needed additional help.

Officially, she and her family were labeled missing, but not dead. They still existed on paper. However, everything associated with the Moon family disappeared the day after that spider bit her. Everything her family owned had been absorbed into one of Ezekiel’s companies and subsequently erased from public records. Even the companies her parents worked for had no record of them beyond a certain point. It was as though they’d just been cut out of reality completely.

That was a problem for her, especially if she wanted to take control of her life and find her missing family. That was also where Mary Jane’s connections with the Hellfire Club came in. Being the Red Queen and close associated with Emma Frost, whose financial and legal resources dwarfed anything Ezekiel ever had, she could help create a new foundation on which to build.

“So what does this mean for me?” asked Cindy as she stopped pacing.

“It means, Cindy, that you have a legally binding identity once more,” said Mary Jane proudly. “You have a valid ID, a bank account, and even completed tax returns. Don’t ask me how _those_ were created.”

“That’s probably something not worth knowing,” added Peter. “The point is, Ezekiel Sims screwed your life up. We’re _unscrewing_ in a way that won’t seem weird to the police, the state of New York, or the IRS.”

“Take it from a former prostitute. You _want_ to be official in some capacity,” added Mary Jane. “Here, see for yourself.”

The Red Queen turned her computer screen so that Cindy could see the Hellfire Club’s handiwork. It appeared to be comprehensive government database, one she doubted civilians were supposed to access, but the Inner Circle’s reach went just that far. Cindy was no expert in legal documents, paper trails, or anything of the sort, but she was knew enough to recognize thorough documentation.

“The story is a little contrived, but not the most elaborate piece of legal fiction ever woven,” Mary Jane continued. “Those are Emma Frost’s words, by the way. Not mine.”

“Just out of curiosity, how often has she done stuff like this?” asked Cindy as she scrolled through some of the data.

“We don’t know,” said Peter, “and we’re probably better off _not_ knowing.”

“You still can’t argue with results,” said the Red Queen. “As of now, your story is slightly more mundane and involves zero vampires.”

“That’s a detail I can do without,” Cindy muttered.

“It goes like this…about 10 years ago, your parents get an emergency phone call from your Uncle Rin Moon back in South Korea. You’ve got a family crisis on your hands, one that requires you to take an extended trip to Pusan.”

“Do I even want to know how your people found out about my dad’s aloof brother?” Cindy asked.

“Again, we’re probably better off not knowing,” said Peter.

“It’s a good thing he’s aloof because that gives you a reason to leave. That extended trip gets even more extended when your family gets caught up in the chaos during the first Kree/Skrull war that hit every country all those years ago.”

“I remember that,” said Peter, shuddering at the memory. “I still pretty new to the superhero game. The Avengers barely knew I existed. There was a _lot_ of chaos to go around.”

“And it was in that chaos where you were separated from your family,” said Mary Jane. “The details in the documents are vague, but according to the revised timeline, you spent a number of years searching for them throughout Asia. Now, you think your best chance of finding them is here in New York.”

“Which isn’t _that_ far from the truth, when you think about it,” said Peter.

It sounded almost made too much sense. It gave her, on paper, a perfect reason for disappearing from New York all those years ago. It even gave her an excuse for being separated from her family, one that didn’t involve her getting superpowers or being trapped on an island for years. There were even official-looking documents from South Korea that documented her fictional struggles to reunite with her family.

It wasn’t the whole truth, but it wasn’t an outright lie either. Cindy got the impression that the Hellfire Club and the superhero crowd had to walk that line, especially when it came to personal issues.

To some extent, it set them apart from men like Ezekiel, who didn’t mind complete lies. If she was to function as both Cindy Moon and whatever persona her powers made her, then she needed a certain level of deception. It was just a matter of making sure there were enough truths mixed in with the half-truths to keep her focused.

_‘I lost my family because I believed in another man’s lies. Now, if I want to find them again, I’ll have to navigate some lies of my own. I just hope I’m strong enough and smart enough to do what I have to do and NOT lose control again. I owe that much to my parents and brother.’_

It all fit perfectly to fill the decade-long gap in her past. However, Cindy noticed it did little to mold her present or future. That part had been left fairly open, which might have been the most critical detail of all. It reflected the renewed control over she had on her life and the long road ahead of her in using it.

“I guess it’s as believable as anything else you’d find in this city,” said Cindy as she finished reading through the documentation.

“In a city that has Lizard men in the sewer, mole men in the subways, and J. Jonah Jameson as a major news outlet, there are far crazier things,” joked Peter.

“I don’t intend to rely too much on it, though,” she said. “I’ve got a life to rebuild, a family to find, and a host of superpowers I’ll need to manage.”

“Well, you have what you need,” said Mary Jane. “Emma even managed to retrieve and unfreeze your family’s old bank accounts. It’s not a whole lot, but it will help get you situated.”

“We can offer more, if you need it,” added Peter. “We’ve got some friends in SHIELD who are in need of agents and good at finding missing people. I hear Black Widow is looking for a partner. And she’s so good at finding people she knows the Red Skull’s favorite brand of underwear.”

He offered a friendly gesture. Cindy accepted it with a smile. Still in his Spider-Man costume, but no longer wearing his mask, he smiled back. It was overwhelming how willing he and Mary Jane had been to help her. As hard as she fought to regain control of her life, there was no way she could’ve succeeded without them.

“That’s so amazingly generous of you, but you guys have already been _way_ too generous,” said Cindy. “Hell, I basically just barged right into your lives, got you caught up in my crap, and roped you into a battle with Ezekiel and Morlun. I think I’ve demanded enough of you.”

“Hey, us bitten-by-a-radioactive-spider types have to stick together, right?” teased Peter.

“And besides, what happened to you was already linked to us anyway,” said Mary Jane. “You were in this crazy situation because Ezekiel teamed up with Selene. Add that on top of that spider bite and it was only a matter of time before our paths crossed.”

“Plus, you _did_ give me a pretty strong incentive, if I recall,” said Peter curtly.

“I know. I haven’t forgotten _that_ ,” said Cindy, blushing at the reminder of how it all started with sex on his desk.

“Call me old fashioned, but I feel compelled to help a beautiful woman who just walks into my office and has sex with me on the spot.”

“You’re a true gentleman, Tiger,” said Mary Jane curtly. “Keep in mind, I say that as both your lover and someone who has been bent over more than a few office desks.”

They both laughed and so did Cindy, although she couldn’t stop herself from blushing. Peter and Mary Jane had such a strange, but wonderful relationship. They were so open, emotionally and sexually. In a strange, yet logical way, it allowed them to navigate the chaos that came with superheroes, super-villains, and kinky sex.

She’d originally been nervous about how she approached Peter, knowing the effect their spider-senses would be on one another. She didn’t know how it would affect his willingness to help her battle Ezekiel. Her just showing up and fucking him on the spot could’ve complicated his life more than it already was. Knowing the urge would be strong, though, Cindy took a chance and it paid off more than she ever could’ve imagined.

“By the way,” Mary Jane continued, “if you’re going to regularly take part in our kinky sex lives, give us some warning.”

“And take a number,” joked Peter. “We tend to be _charitable_ when it comes to sharing our kinks.”

“Provided they share in the responsibilities,” the Red Queen added.

“That too,” said Peter.

Cindy laughed and blushed, somewhat. She had a lot on her plate to deal with in terms of finding her family and rebuilding her life. It was nice knowing that when it came to her sex life – which both Ezekiel and Selene did plenty to mess up on that island – she had an appropriate outlet.

“Thanks,” said Cindy. “I promise I’ll do my part. I may have to since our spider senses still _effect_ one another.”

“Yeah, we’ll have to work around that,” said Peter, now blushing as well. “I noticed it wasn’t as intense during our battle with Sims, but that might have just been the weather and the adrenaline.”

“Well, we’ve managed to keep our hands off each other so far,” said Cindy. “I guess we’re starting to manage it…for the most part.”

“The most part?” said Peter.

“Are you going to tell me you haven’t had at least one awkward boner since we’ve returned?”

Peter shifted awkwardly, trying to hide that goofy look on his face. Cindy hid her own awkward look as well. She still took a slight step back from Peter, an effort to keep their hormones in check. That basic, instinctual attraction to him was still there. The urge to rip his clothes off and jump his bone wasn’t as strong as it was when they first met, but it hadn’t disappeared. Peter’s response confirmed that he still felt it too.

As they lingered in the awkward moment, Mary Jane shot Peter a bemused smirk. She then gave her a strange glance. She was actually the only one in the room who wasn’t blushing. The voluptuous redhead seemed remarkably comfortable with sexual innuendo, a likely byproduct of being a former prostitute and the Red Queen. There was something else to her gaze, though. It was as if her and Peter’s disposition had triggered some sort of revelation.

“Well, if you’re going to manage it, then maybe we can work with that too,” said Mary Jane with a kinky undertone in her voice.

“That’s really not necessary,” said Cindy. “Like I said, you guys have already helped me _way_ too much for one day.”

“I didn’t say anything about helping,” said the Red Queen, getting up from her desk. “In fact, this might be a way of returning the favor, to some extent.”

“Oh boy,” said Peter, his face lighting up like a kid on Christmas. “I know _that_ insanely sexy undertone. It doesn’t set off my spider sense, but it probably should.”

“Why? What do you mean?” asked Cindy, both curious and somewhat anxious.

Mary Jane then walked out from behind her desk and approached Cindy. She now had a critical look in her eyes. It reminded her of her old field hockey coach, who gave players that look when trying to determine what position they could play. The main difference was that Mary Jane walked with the poise of the Red Queen of the Hellfire Club. That had far more connotations, although those _undertones_ Peter mentioned provided some telling clues.

“Earlier, you talked about some of the weird shit Ezekiel and Selene did to maintain their hold on you,” Mary Jane said, still assessing her with that critical gaze.

“Are you referring to the weird way they used my ex-boyfriend to _literally_ fuck with me?” said Cindy.

“To be fair, that’s not even the tenth weirdest thing we’ve seen or done at this place,” Peter pointed out. “Hell, we’ve got a mutant shape-shifter who regularly visits.”

“Not the point, love,” said Mary Jane, now carrying herself with the poise of the Red Queen. “From what I’ve learned and surmised, they used sex to strengthen their control over you. Is that accurate?”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t the only thing,” Cindy answered.

“I don’t doubt that, but it’s the one thing Peter and I can help with…and maybe help ourselves a bit, in the process.”

“Oh? How so?” asked Cindy, now genuinely intrigued.

That strange grin on her face widened. The Red Queen then stopped scrutinizing her and took a step closer. She radiated a raw, unrestrained sexual energy, the kind that couldn’t be controlled. Mary Jane was clearly a very sexual woman and while Cindy had never had been overly sexual until she got her powers, she found herself drawn to it.

Peter must have known something she didn’t because he had already retrieved his mask and started walking towards the door. He had a similar grin on his face. Either his spider sense had just warned him of something or Cindy hadn’t fully grasped the innuendo.

“I’ll go shower, shave, and open a fresh bottle of lube,” said Peter.

“You do that, Peter,” said Mary Jane, not taking her eyes off Cindy. “Ms. Moon and I have a few other things to discuss.”

“Somehow, I doubt this has anything to do with legal paperwork,” said Cindy.

“This actually involves something more important, if you can believe that,” the Red Queen continued. “The way I see it, Ezekiel and Selene really fucked up your sex drive and your sense of control. On top of that, your powers give you the insatiable urge to fuck my lover.”

“It’s odd how you’re not framing that as a problem,” she pointed out.

“That’s because it doesn’t have to be, Cindy. In my experience, when you have feelings like this, the last thing you want to do is repress them. Sure, you can still manage them and be perfectly content, but honestly…where’s the fun in that?”

At that moment, the innuendo became clear. Mary Jane even reinforced it, slipping an arm around Cindy’s shoulder and playfully trailing a finger down her skin-tight uniform. Her mind raced with all sorts of strange possibilities, but if the moist heat between her legs were any indication, her body had already decided.

“I haven’t been allowed to have fun for a long time,” Cindy said. “What do you have in mind, Mary Jane?”

“Something that’ll be fun, kinky, and potentially beneficial to all of us!” she replied proudly. “All I need to know from you is what style of stilettos you prefer.”

* * *

**Hellfire Club S &M Dungeon – Later That Night**

“We’re ready for you, Mistress Moon,” said a submissive, playful voice. “Are you ready for us?”

“Fuck yeah, I’m ready!” Cindy said intently. “I mean…actually, fuck that. I meant what I said!”

Cindy Moon couldn’t remember the last time she’d sounded _that_ confident. Then again, she’d never been in such an empowering situation ether. The Cindy Moon that had spent the last decade under someone else’s control had disappeared. Even the Cindy before that – the reserved, uncertain girl who had never been too sure of herself – had disappeared as well. In their place was a dominant, controlling version of Cindy that would’ve made Ezekiel Sims shudder.

“You wear that thong well, Cindy,” said Mary Jane proudly.

“Silence, my fellow leather-bound bitch!” Cindy said sternly. “I’m in control here. You’re merely an assistant.”

“And I intend to be a damn good one,” said the Red Queen playfully.

The voluptuous redhead took a step back, maintaining a submissive disposition, as she’d promised earlier. It was still nothing compared to the submissive state Peter was in. It would’ve been shocking if it hadn’t also made her so excited, as well as horny.

In one of the more _exclusive_ VIP areas of the Hellfire Club – one specifically reserved for patrons who enjoyed a more _extreme_ form of kink – Mary Jane and Peter had set up an elaborate scenario just for her. The room itself was a fully-equipped S &M dungeon, complete with stone walls, torch-like lighting, medieval décor, and a healthy assortment of accessories, many of which hung from the walls or in oversized chests.

At the center of it all was an adjustable wooden table that had the dimensions of a queen-sized bed. It also had special gears underneath and on the side, allowing her to adjust the incline from completely flat to completely upright. Mary Jane called it the slave rack, but at the moment, it was the center of Cindy’s focus.

Lying on the rack was Peter, fully naked and completely at her mercy. He had his arms spread out and restrained with special ropes that were attached to the side of the rack. His legs and ankles had been bound in a similar fashion. There was even a special restraint for his neck, ensuring he couldn’t move unless she allowed it. For all intents and purposes, he’d completely ceded control to her. However, he didn’t look that uncomfortable. If anything, he looked aroused by it.

“You look _way_ to content, all bound and tied up like a slave,” Cindy commented as she approached the rack.

“In my defense, Mistress Moon, this isn’t my first time submitting to the kinky whims of a beautiful woman,” Peter said.

“Given the intimate company you keep, I’m not the least bit surprised,” Cindy replied, shooting Mary Jane a bemused glare.

“Also in his defense, he’s _really_ good at it,” Mary Jane added. “He a thoughtful, obedient submissive. He knows how to please a hardened mistress.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Cindy said skeptically, growing more excited by the second.

She was already breathing heavily, flushed with adrenaline and arousal. Cindy found herself embracing the mentality and spirit of a dominatrix, one completely in control herself and her submissive. It even surprised her, the eagerness with which settled into her role, but she couldn’t feel too surprised.

When Mary Jane first pitched the idea to her – spending the evening as an S&M queen, dominating a man who willingly submitted to her every whim – she thought it sounded too kinky for someone who’d spent the past decade cooped up on Selene Gallio’s private island. The way the Red Queen sold it, though, made it seem downright therapeutic.

It would give her an opportunity to take control of something that Selene and Ezekiel had once used to control her. She hadn’t forgotten how they used sex in the form of her ex-boyfriend, Hector, to pacify her. They turned a simple, pleasurable feeling into a tool with which to mold her. In order to take control of her life, she needed to reclaim that tool. The fact that it involved sex with a man for which she felt a powerful lust made it seem all the more pragmatic.

Cindy didn’t remember exactly when Mary Jane’s request stopped sounding so crazy. She just knew that, after about an hour of that moment, she found herself standing over a hopelessly bound man while wearing the kind of S&M gear that would’ve made her old Sunday School teacher faint. Her entire included thigh-high stiletto boots, a black leather corset that was cut in a way that allowed her breasts to hang freely, and a matching thong that barely covered her pussy. It was so gaudy, but wearing it just felt so _right_.

“So you enjoy _subjugating_ yourself to the whims of a controlling mistress,” Cindy said as she walked around the rack, adjusting it so it was at a steep incline.

“Yes, Mistress Moon,” Peter said in a meek tone. “I enjoy it _very_ much.”

“That, alone, reveals much about you,” she told him. “It says to me you spent a good chunk of your life bearing too many responsibilities…shouldering multiple burdens, never able to pass it onto others. Someone with such unique abilities can’t avoid those burdens. That gives the idea of submitting to a trusted mistress a uniquely _liberating_ appeal.”

“That…makes a lot of sense,” said Mary Jane.

The Red Queen laughed, but Cindy remained dead serious. As she continued walking around the slave rack, she trailed her fingers over the manly sinews of Peter’s body. She did so while wearing a pair of arm-length leather gloves that Mary Jane had lent her. The smooth, cold touch was meant to convey the breadth of her authority over him. She could feel him shuddering under her touch, but she also saw how much it aroused him.

His dick was already semi-hard. Part of that might have been due to their respective spider-senses, which still filled them with a powerful lust for one another. Cindy felt it too, her inner thighs becoming moist with arousal. Her instincts urged her to just jump his bone and start riding his cock. However, in the spirit of taking back control and embracing her new S&M personal, Cindy sought to channel that lust.

“The fact that I’m getting so wet, acting as your mistress, reveals plenty about me too,” Cindy went on.

“Yeah…so revealing,” said Peter, his submissive gaze narrowing on her breasts as she hovered just over his head.

“My life has been controlled by others for so long. My safety, my hopes, my fears, and even my pleasure…all ceded to someone else,” she said, her tone becoming more intense with every word. “For me, it wasn’t liberating. If anything, it made me long for greater control…almost as much as I long for _other_ powerful feelings.”

“Well, now you have it,” Mary Jane told her. “Question is…what are you going to do with it?”

Cindy turned towards Mary Jane, still hovering over Peter with her breasts right in his face. She shot the Red Queen a devious smirk. She picked up on what the Red Queen was trying to do to her. She _dared_ her to do more than just long for such a feeling. Cindy had every intention of maximizing the opportunity before her.

“Is that a question or a challenge?” Cindy asked her.

“It is whatever you want it to be, Mistress Moon,” said Mary Jane, mirroring Peter’s submissive tone.

“In that case, it’s time you make yourself useful.”

Acting on a mix of lustful whim and playful kink, Cindy stormed over towards the Red Queen like a master approaching a disobedient slave. Mary Jane didn’t move from where she stood, bowing her head in a submissive gesture. Cindy didn’t let her get too comfortable, though. Grabbing her by the chin, she forced the voluptuous redhead to look her in the eye.

“Strip!” Cindy demanded. “Take everything off. Only _I’m_ allowed to wear the attire of a queen in here.”

“Yes, Mistress Moon,” Mary Jane said tepidly.

Cindy let go of her chin. Almost immediately, the redhead began removing the distinct Hellfire Club uniform that identified her as the Red Queen. She pretended to be shy, removing her gloves and unzipping her red leather corset. She maintained that demeanor as she removed her thong, garter, and boots as well, all while under Cindy’s penetrating gaze. She even acted embarrassed, covering her breasts with one arm and putting a hand over her vagina with the other.

Cindy didn’t buy it for a second, though. She could tell by the curt glint in Mary Jane’s eyes that she was enjoying it. She seemed to enjoy submission almost as much as Peter. Cindy surmised she’d been on the submissive side of things before as well. The way she rubbed her thighs together revealed that she was getting aroused as well.

“Don’t pretend to be modest,” said Cindy sternly. “You’re an unapologetic slut and you know it. Show those tits and pussy that you love using so much.”

“Okay, Mistress Moon,” Mary Jane said, still pretending to be meek.

“Show them to my slave!” she demanded. “Let him see the face and body of a true whore.”

Cindy didn’t wait for her to reply. She just grabbed Mary Jane by the shoulders and shoved her over to an area just in front of the slave rack. It gave Peter an unobstructed view of her naked body. While he’d probably seen Mary Jane naked many times before, the sight of her being submissive to another woman must have been a new spectacle. He must have really liked it too because his cock became more erect.

“Look at that,” Cindy said, standing behind Mary Jane and directing her gaze to his cock. “My submissive enjoys looking at naked whores.”

“So it seems, Mistress Moon,” said Mary Jane in a more playful tone.

“That’s good for both of you,” she told her. “It means I can be _flexible_ with my authority.”

She made it sound so ominous. That might have just been her excitement at exercising so much control. Selene and Ezekiel had effectively dictated when she could do anything, including sex. Now, it was her turn to do the dictating.

“Here’s what you’re going to do, Mary Jane,” Cindy said into her ear, making sure Peter could hear too. “You’re going to suck my slave’s cock. You’re going to suck it nice and hard until he comes. When he does, you’re going to swallow every last drop of his cum. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Mistress Moon. I understand completely,” said Mary Jane, no longer acting shy as she licked her lips intently.

Cindy then turned to Peter, who looked as excited as she’d expect of a man who was about to get a blowjob from Mary Jane Watson. Before he could get too eager, though, she walked back over towards him and grabbed him by the neck.

“Don’t think this is an act of mercy, slave! This is your Mistress testing your stamina and your worth,” Cindy told him.

“I uh…understand,” Peter said.

“I don’t think you do. The way I see it, just getting your dick hard so your mistress can ride it to ecstasy is easy. A typical slave has no problem with this, but you’re _not_ typical, are you?”

She gave his neck a little squeeze, letting him know there was only one acceptable answer.

“No…I’m not,” Peter said.

“That’s why you’re going to blow your load down this whore’s gullet. Then, you’re going to get hard again. You’re going to fuck me with that cock and blow _another_ load inside me. It’s not going to be that easy, but those are the high standards I expect of my slaves.”

She released her grip on Peter’s neck, her dominating demeanor still towering over him. He looked up at her as though she’d just given him a daunting task. Cindy knew as well as he did that his superhuman biology made multiple ejaculations easier for him than most men. That still didn’t mean she would make it easy on him. Turning back towards Mary Jane, who was still hungrily eyeing Peter’s cock, Cindy exacted further control over her submissive.

“What are you waiting for?” she asked impatiently. “Get on your knees and suck his dick, whore!”

“It will be done, Mistress Moon,” said Mary Jane.

The Red Queen, now reduced the role of a lowly whore, did as she was told. Upon approaching the rack, she dropped to her knees, her naked skin touching the cold stone floor. With Peter’s cock now right in her face, she carefully cupped his balls with one hand and grabbed the base with the other. Then, with the look and demeanor of an obedient whore, began giving her slave oral sex.

“Ohhh fuck!” Peter moaned.

“Keep your voice down, slave. You’ll need it for later,” Cindy said, throwing in more ominous undertones.

She wasn’t sure whether Peter heard her. That didn’t matter, though. He’d find out soon enough what she had in store for him.

Cindy hadn’t planned everything out. Mary Jane had just offered her the basics in terms of setup and tools. How she went about exercising her newfound control was left up to her. The fact that doing so and being near Peter made her _very_ horny helped assure that she was doing something right.

_‘This is my domain. Their pleasure…my pleasure…it’s all mine to mold and guide. The things I can do…I get to decide. Fuck, just thinking about it makes me so hot!’_

The whole room felt like her own world, one in which she controlled from top to bottom. For a moment, she just watched Mary Jane suck Peter’s cock like the skilled whore she was while her submissive slave grunted blissfully. Such vivid imagery filled her with a mix of energy and sexual arousal. In a room full of various BDSM accessories, Cindy began exercising other aspects of control.

Acting largely on whim rather than reason, she grabbed a special whip that had placed on a nearby table. It was one of those whips with multiple studs on the end. It was specially padded so that it wouldn’t leave marks, but still crafted from thick leather so that it had an impact. While gripping it firmly in her hand, Cindy another rush of power as she eyed her two submissive.

At that point, though, it was no novelty. It felt like a new side of herself emerging before her eyes, born from life of fear, mistakes, and deception.

“My obedient little submissive,” Cindy said distantly, “so vulnerable and exposed. There’s so much I could do to you, but this isn’t about you. It’s about me…my pleasure…my authority.”

Squeezing the whip harder, Cindy casually twirled it as she walked up behind Mary Jane, who remained on her knees and totally focused on sucking Peter’s dick. She didn’t see her, but the sound of her stiletto heels clicking against the cold stone floor must have alerted her. Even in his blissful, yet bound daze, Peter noticed as well.

“Mistress Moon,” he said distantly.

“Silence!” Cindy spat. “You will not speak until your Mistress tells you to!”

Peter fell silent. His expression continued contorting to Mary Jane’s efforts. By now, she’d worked up a thorough rhythm, bobbing her head back and forth as her lips slithered along the length of his cock. With each motion, she stroked the base while fondling his balls, her skill and experience at sucking dick showing at every turn.

It was so easy for her, an experienced prostitute and self-admitted slut. For Cindy, the one with all the dominance in the room, that just couldn’t stand. A whore as skilled as Mary Jane Watson had to be challenged.

“Time to add a little urgency, slave,” Cindy said with a devious grin.

With both hands now on the whip, the emboldened young woman channeled some of her old field hockey skills and struck Mary Jane right on the ass with it. The sound of hard leather clashing with naked flesh filled the room, catching the voluptuous redhead by surprise.

“Mmf!” Mary Jane groaned, her voice muffled by the presence of Peter’s cock.

“Don’t stop! Keep sucking!” Cindy commanded. “Show your worth. Prove you can suck a dick while your mistress disciplines you.”

She struck Mary Jane again, hitting her ass with equal force. The impact left visible reddish welts on her ass, the kind that really must have stung. It threw the former prostitute off, so much so that she briefly gagged on Peter’s cock. She probably wasn’t used to getting interrupted when giving one of her famous blowjobs. It presented a new challenge, one that she had to complete on behalf of her Mistress.

“Harder!” Cindy commanded before striking her again. “Do it until he comes! The longer you take, the more punishment you’ll receive.”

She delivered another blow, striking her lower back and creating a fresh round of welts. Mary Jane winced at the impact, but offered no protest. She just did as she’d been told, stepping up the intensity of her oral sex, licking and suckling harder. The sounds of her slurping and slobbering over his hardened cock filled the room briefly, only to be overshadowed by the sound of the whip striking her naked flesh again.

It was an act of dominance, one that commanded both pleasure and pain over two eager submissive. It filled Cindy with more intoxicating power, encouraging her to strike Mary Jane again and again with the whip, up to the point where her ass was bright red with welts. They looked painful, but she sensed the Red Queen enjoying it. Cindy could see her pussy getting wetter with each passing moment.

“You like this, don’t you?” Cindy said before striking Mary Jane again. “You love being an obedient slave whore…completely at the mercy of a skilled mistress.”

“Mmf!” Mary Jane moaned.

“I’ll take that as a yes…and an invitation for more!”

Cindy delivered more strikes, adding even more urgency to her oral sex. At one point, Mary Jane had to let go of Peter’s balls and shaft so she could hold onto the sides of the rack, relying solely on her lips to finish the job.

From what she could tell, Peter was close. Cindy noticed the way his face contorted to the escalating sensations. She’d seen that same look earlier when she fucked him on his desk. In terms of exercising dominance, it counted as progress.

“You’re about to come, aren’t you?” Cindy said, pressing the whip up to his chest. “Respond!”

“Yes…Mistress Moon,” Peter moaned.

“Then, what are you waiting for? Come, slave! Shoot your load down her throat!”

She then delivered a form strike to his torso. Whether by timing or luck, it gave him the final push he needed. With a labored gasp, Peter achieved his climax as his Mistress demanded.

“Ohhh fuck!” he exclaimed.

“Mmmfff!” Mary Jane moaned as well.

Leaving nothing to chance, Cindy used the whip to hold Mary Jane’s head in place, forcing her to deep-throat Peter’s cock as he ejaculated. His entire body shuddered under the weight of his release, the muscles his upper body and legs tensing as he released his load.

True to her Mistress’ command, Mary Jane sucked up every last drop. Her lips remained securely around her fellow slave’s cock as it throbbed inside her mouth, extracting every last drop of fluid. She lingered in that position until the entirety of Peter’s orgasm passed and even a little bit beyond that, if only to make sure she got it all.

When it was finally over, Cindy pulled the whip back to allow Mary Jane to cease her oral sex and catch her breath. She let out a ragged gasp, but remained on her knees, holding onto the slave rack. Still exercising her dominance, though, Cindy placed the tip of the whip under the redhead’s chin and made her look up at her.

“Open your mouth. Show me you got every last drop,” Cindy commanded.

Mary Jane did as requested, opening her mouth to reveal only a small bit of semen on her tongue. It must have been a pretty thick load, but she was an experienced whore. Cindy assumed she’d taken far more.

“That’s a good, slave whore,” she said. “You obeyed your Mistress. You may express your sentiments.”

“Thank you, Mistress Moon,” said Mary Jane, still gasping for breath. “It is a pleasure…to serve you.”

“And you’re not done,” Cindy told her, “not by a long shot. Since you were so obedient and resilient, though, I’m going to reward you. A good dominant rewards good submission, after all.”

It would’ve been funny if it weren’t so serious. Peter and Mary Jane didn’t crack a smile, though. Both remained breathless, obedient, and under her control. That didn’t stop Cindy from smiling, though. She wasn’t just enjoying the control she had over her submissive. She was having fun. The more she played the part of a dominatrix, the more she embraced it.

_‘This new side of me…this kinky, dominating persona…I like it!’_

A devious grin never leaving her face, she grabbed Mary Jane by the neck and forced back onto her feet. She then turned her away from Peter.

“This way, slave whore!” Cindy demanded. “You’re going to have a new role for the rest of this session. Is that understood?”

“I understand, Mistress Moon,” said Mary Jane with an obedient nod. “Please…tell me how I can serve you.”

“Oh hearing that out loud just makes me so hot!”

Her grin growing wider, she led Mary Jane across the dungeon to a special S&M swing that hung from the ceiling. Cindy had intended to use it at some point, but wasn’t sure how. Inspired by Peter and Mary Jane’s submission, she came up with a plan that was both appropriate and kinky.

Mary Jane offered no resistance or questions as Cindy picked her up by the waist and set her in the swing. Then, she retrieved some bondage rope from a nearby table and tied the voluptuous redhead’s wrists to the latches of the swing. She didn’t seem to mind being tied up. In fact, it seemed to make her horny. She figured Peter must use his webbing for more than crime-fighting.

“Legs up,” Cindy told her. “Spread ‘em nice and wide.”

Mary Jane wordlessly complied, parting her legs in a spread-eagle form, which fully exposed her pussy and left her completely supported by the swing. To further ensure her submission, Cindy retrieved more bonding rope to tie her legs to the supports so that her legs remained in place. It probably would’ve been uncomfortable, Mary Jane not been such an experienced whore.

“There!” said Cindy proudly. “All tied up and submissive. Are you comfortable, my little slave whore?”

“Yes, Mistress Moon,” Mary Jane replied weakly.

“Does it make you horny? Being naked, tied up, and with the taste of fresh cum in your mouth?”

“Yes,” she answered, “very much so.”

“Then, it must be frustrating, not being able to touch yourself right now. I can tell you want your pussy touched, fucked, and filled.”

As she said those words, Cindy skillfully trailed her fingers along Mary Jane’s wet folds. The heat and juices were obvious. She was one horny slut and for once, she couldn’t fulfill her desires. She was at the mercy of her Mistress and that further empowered Cindy, among other things.

“Ooh!” Mary Jane moaned under her touch.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Cindy said with a devious grin. “Don’t worry, though. I don’t intend to leave you _unfulfilled_. I am a tough, but fair mistress. Slave whores who fulfill their duties deserve mercy…to a point.”

Cindy playfully rubbed the voluptuous redhead’s swollen clit, causing Mary Jane to wince at the sensations it evoked. She watched as Mary Jane gazed up gazed at her with desperate eyes, pleading for whatever mercy she could spare. Even in her domineering position, Cindy was willing to afford some.

Looking over towards the nearby table again, she formulated a plan. In addition to the ropes, there was an impressive assortment of didoes, butt plugs, vibrators, and nipple clamps. Mary Jane had joked earlier that it was just a small part of the collection they had at the Hellfire Club. Cindy had plenty to choose from, but one item stood out among all others.

“Ah yes, this will do!” she said.

From the table, Cindy retrieved one of the fancier-looking sex toys from the collection. It was a mid-sized, highly-polished metal dildo with a specially-shaped stud on top to provide clitoral stimulation. Given the intricate, glossy feel of it, she quickly surmised it offered more than just ordinary stimulation. That just wouldn’t be true to the spirit of the Hellfire Club.

“A vibranium vibrator,” Cindy said, “a rare piece of kinky craftsmanship. Either it’s from an illegal arms dealer with too much free time or someone fucked a Wakandan noble to oblivion.”

Mary Jane’s submissive demeanor faltered for a brief moment, cracking a half-grin at her remark. That essentially gave away the truth. The Red Queen knew how to use that ass of hers to get what she wanted and then some. As a fair and just dominatrix, Cindy favored rewarding such hard work.

“Whatever the source, vibranium is supposed to have many unique properties,” said Cindy. “It’ll have to use all of them if you’re to remain _docile_ for this next part.”

“I thank you for your mercy, Mistress,” said Mary Jane in a humble tone.

“Spare me your gratitude. You still have a role to play, slave whore. For now, you will play the part of an _active_ observer!”

Before the voluptuous redhead could ask about that role, Cindy activated the vibrator and turned it up to its highest setting. She could already feel a strange heat radiating from the vibranium, hinting at its more exotic properties. Then, with Mary Jane watching on intently, Cindy inserted it into the bound woman’s vagina, making sure the stimulator was aligned with her clit.

To ensure it stayed in place, she formed some webbing in her hand and secured it to Mary Jane’s thighs. She couldn’t get it out if she wanted and if her reaction were any indication, she preferred it stay inside her.

“Oohhh yes!” she moaned.

“Spoken like a true slut,” Cindy said curtly. “ _That_ should keep you occupied. It’ll also give me all the time I need to take what I want.”

Leaving Mary Jane to writhe in sexual bliss, she turned back towards Peter, who remained tied to the salve rack and completely at her mercy. He’d since caught his breath. His dick had settled, but still dripped with the Red Queen’s saliva. Even in his daze, he saw what she did with Mary Jane.

He almost looked humored by the sight of his lover tied up, restrained, and being pleasured by a vibrainum dildo. In a few moments, though, he’d be envious of her.

“Take a good look at her, slave,” Cindy told him. “She’s getting off easy…literally. You, on the other hand, have a far greater responsibility.”

“For you, my Mistress…I’m happy to accept responsibility,” said Peter with an odd grin.

He almost sounded too eager. Not wanting to make it easy on him, Cindy stormed over to the slave rack and adjusted it so that it was flat. She then stood over Peter again, her breasts hovering right over his face with her eyes glaring down on him.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” she told him. “You’re going to be responsible for giving me my pleasure. It’s not just your responsibility. It’s your duty, as my slave!”

“I understand, Mistress Moon,” Peter replied, sounding meek once more.

“I don’t think you do,” Cindy scoffed. “You see, being in control has left me feeling bolder than I have in years. And when I’m feeling bold, I tend to get a little _reckless_. When I get reckless…well, you’re about to find out!”

She let Peter ponder that lurid idea for a moment while she prepared for the most ambitious part of her kinky plan. Moving with greater urgency, Cindy used a line of webbing to retrieve the table of sex toys that had been next to Mary Jane and set it next to the rack. She retrieved another from nearby, which included a different set of accessories that included candle wax, blindfolds, and ball gags.

There was a lot to choose from. Cindy had originally intended to only try a few, but playing the role of a dominatrix and exercising so much control left an even greater impact than she’d expected. Beyond just making her extra horny, it also awakened a kinky side that she didn’t know she had, but was already growing to love.

That side of her was on full display to Peter as she sifted through some of the accessories, including a few sets of nipple clamps, scented massage oils, and gags. She could already hear him breathing heavily, both out of anticipation and arousal.

“You have the look and demeanor of a strong, resilient man,” Cindy said to him. “I take it you’ve been on both sides of this table, literally and metaphorically. Confirm whether I’m right or wrong.”

“You are right, Mistress,” Peter answered.

“You know the unique undertones of pure submission, trusting your pleasure and your very well-being to another,” she went on. “When done right, it can be quite _exhilarating_.”

Cindy briefly turned back towards Mary Jane, just in time to see her achieve orgasm. The vibranium vibrator was doing its job, briefly filling the dungeon with her blissful cries. It was a verbal testament to the power of submission, but that power went even further.

“Given how well she’s taken to this, I’m assuming you understand the overtones of dominance as well,” Cindy said. “Chances are, you’ve tied that whore up in ways far more secure than I have and overwhelmed her with every ounce of your lust.”

“You are right again, Mistress,” he said.

“And I’m sure you enjoyed it. How could you not? You had total control over your pleasure and hers. I’m sure that gave you a rush. I promise you though…that was _nothing_ compared to what I’m feeling right now!”

There was an intensity in her voice, one that echoed with authority and lust. Peter might have appreciated the act of dominating his lover as much as any guy, but she doubted that it made him feel what she felt coursing through her at the moment.

Just being in control of her life once more had been liberating enough. Being so in control that she could dictate when, how, and what form their pleasure would manifest took it to another level. It was uncharted territory for Cindy and she intended to push it to the utmost.

Fueled by that feeling, she set aside the nipple clamps and retrieved an extra-large bottle of strawberry-flavored massage oil. She then got up on the slave rack with Peter, standing over him so that she looked like a titan towering over him like a skyscraper.

“This control I now have…this feeling it gives me…it’s more powerful to me than it can _ever_ be to you,” Cindy said sternly. “And I intend to fully use it for my own personal pleasure. Play your part as a well-behaved submissive and you’ll get yours as well!”

Following her escalating power trip, Cindy popped open the bottle of massage oil and messily poured it all over Peter’s naked body. She wasn’t careful or targeted either. She just dumped the whole thing on him, as though it were cheap city water. For all she knew, that brand of massage oil cost hundreds and had to be imported from Milan. She didn’t care, though. _She_ was in control.

“You’re going to do what I say, say what I want, and even smell like I want you to smell,” Cindy said with naughty playfulness. “Tell me you understand that.”

“I understand,” Peter said without hesitation.

“Tell me you want it!”

“I want it, Mistress Moon.”

“Tell me how much you want it, slave!”

“I really…really want it. I want it so fucking bad. I want nothing more than to serve you, my Mistress.”

He sounded so serious. It also showed in his dick, which began to stiffen up again. His superhuman biology was already hard at work. Grinning intently, Cindy had every intention of maximizing it.

After emptying the last drop of massage oil on him, Cindy stepped down from the rack. Now, Peter’s whole body dripped with the oil, his muscles glistening under the dungeon-themed lighting. It was a very erotic sight for any heterosexual woman and it was hers to enjoy. Licking her lips intently, she reached over with her gloved hand and grasped Peter’s cock.

“Get hard again,” Cindy commanded, “and get hard fast!”

He let out a slight groan under her grip, still somewhat sensitive after his earlier release. That didn’t stop him from getting erect again with minimal effort on her part. Thanks to the massage oil, his cock slithered smoothly in her hand, evoking in him the necessary arousal. For what she had in store for him, though, he couldn’t just rely on his superhuman stamina.

“That’s a good slave,” she told him, “but for you, I’ll need a little something _extra_.”

With one hand still gripping his cock, Cindy retrieved another item from the nearby table. It was a fancy cock-ring with a clitoral stimulator on both ends. Knowing Mary Jane, she probably had it hand-crafted and imported from Madripoor. Trusting the Red Queen’s procurement skills, she got Peter as erect as possible before securing the ring over the base of his cock.

“There!” said Cindy. “Hard, thick, and ready for your Mistress.”

“Hnn…hard,” said Peter, groaning slightly at the extra tightness around his penis.

“Silence!” she spat, giving his torso a light swat. “You _will_ respect your Mistress’ dominance. I’ll make sure of it.”

Having shown his first sign of disobedience, Cindy was swift with her recourse. Before he could voice any further protest, she grabbed a ball gag from the other table and shoved it into his mouth. Peter offered little resistance as she secured it. He still seemed somewhat surprised with how she handled her newfound control. She’d surprised herself, as well, and had every intention of pushing it even farther.

His dick now confined and his voice silenced, Peter Parker was as submissive as any man could get. For Cindy, the inherent attraction they had due to their spider sense was no longer a factor. At that moment, her desire for him came directly from her control over him.

“My slave…my will…my pleasure,” Cindy said. “It’s time!”

The time for theatric was over. She now wanted sex. Specifically, she wanted her kind of sex and all the elaborate kinks that came with it.

Cindy swiftly slipped out of her panties, but left her stiletto boots and corset on. She also took off her gloves with her teeth, wanting to feel the flesh of her bound slave. Her pussy was so wet and hot, aching for more than just simple stimulation. She needed something so much greater.

“I’m going to fuck you now,” Cindy told him. “I’m going to ride your cock as long and as hard as I want. And you’re going to take it! Understand?”

“Mmf!” Peter replied through the gag.

He couldn’t get out much, but he sounded desperate, as though he’d embraced the responsibility of pleasuring his mistress. Knowing that was a big a deal to him, she assumed he was sufficiently motivated.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” she said with a humored grin. “What say you, salve whore?”

“Ohhh yes!” Mary Jane cried out, sounding close to another orgasm, due to the vibrator.

Cindy laughed to herself, proud of how much she’d exerted such dominance over Peter and Mary Jane. Their submission was her power. Now, that power was about to become her ecstasy.

Exercising that power and the intense lust fueling it, Cindy got up on the slave rack again and mounted her bound submissive. She placed both feet firmly at his side, aligning the tip of his erect cock with the wet opening of her pussy. She could already feel his member throbbing, due to the cock ring. It was so hard and rigid, his desire for her flesh now hers to control.

With no further hindrances and no more obstacles to her domination, Cindy grasped his waist with one hand and guided Peter’s cock into her with the other. As soon as she felt the tip enter her folds, she slammed her hips down against his, driving his manhood up into her womanly depths. Raw, empowering sensations follow.

“Ohhh fuck!” Cindy exclaimed. “You feel that, slave? You feel that hot, tight pussy around your cock?”

“Mmf! Mmf!” Peter replied, clear traces of bliss echoing through his muffled moans.

Her penetrating gaze narrowed on him and she shot him a lurid grin. Then, with both hands now firmly on her waist, she began riding his cock. She didn’t hold back, either. It was nothing like the first time they had sex. Cindy was rough, direct, and demanding with their sex.

With every motion of her hips, she roughly drove her hips downward, her pelvis smacking against his in a clash of naked flesh. It quickly filled the dungeon with decadent, blissful noises and Cindy made the most noise.

“Yes! Oh yes! Fuck yes! Fuck you! Oohhh fuck!” she exclaimed, unfiltered and unrestrained.

It was so vulgar and crude. Cindy hadn’t used that much profanity in her life. That vulgar outburst came from a woman experiencing something she’d never experienced before…something intense, intoxicating, and overwhelming. It didn’t just flood her body with a steady onslaught of sexual sensations. It sent her into a new state of mind, one where she felt strong and powerful.

Gazing down at Peter, she felt his body writhe under her, moving only in reaction to her dominating movements. His fists clenched, his legs tensed, and his lower body shifted in accord with the fervent rhythm. Every time her pussy slithered along his cock, his face contorted to the feeling that followed. Moans and gasps echoed through the gag, reflecting his pleasure and his submission.

Both their ecstasy was contingent upon how she wielded her dominance. Cindy might have been new to it, but she handled her authority so well. With each gyration of her hips, she wielded it with greater skill. As she rode his dick, she made sure that every time she drove it up into her, the clitoral stimulators on the cock ring made contact with her. That further supplemented the feelings, maximizing the efficacy of each movement.

It was so effective that it rocked the slave rack. That didn’t go unnoticed by Mary Jane, who had a perfect view of their sex from the sex swing. She was still bound and at the mercy of the vibranium dildo lodged in her pussy, but even Red Queen couldn’t deny her prowess.

“Mistress Moon…so strong and dominant,” Mary Jane said through her orgasmic daze.

“Fuck yeah!” Cindy exclaimed. “And don’t you fucking forget it!”

Encouraged by the beautiful redhead’s remarks, Cindy stepped up her efforts. For a while, she leaned back a bit, giving Peter a nice view of her breasts as they bounced in accord with each motion. Then, as the sensations escalated, she leaned forward a bit, raking her fingers and nails over his chest, leaving a few marks along the way as she made a hard push for her climax.

It was fast approaching, much more so than she’d expected. Even her first encounter with Peter or her private moments with Hector hadn’t been _that_ effective in taking her to the brink. Being a kinky dominatrix proved even more potent than she’d thought.

“Look at me, slave! Look…at me!” she demanded, leaning over so that her breasts pressed against his chest.

“Mmm,” was all Peter got out.

“I’m going to come. That’s right! Your mistress…is going to…come,” Cindy said intently. “I’m going to come all over you dick…and I’m going to fucking love it!”

“Mmm!”

He almost sounded eager, as though her pleasure were his, by extension. He was even better submissive than she’d thought. Mary Jane had _conditioned_ him well.

Never once diverting her gaze, Cindy grabbed Peter by the neck and worked her hips even harder. The smacking sound of their flesh repeatedly colliding grew louder, matching her increasingly-determined moans. It was like being in a battle with Morlun, a powerful struggle with lower stakes and a _much_ greater reward. Just as she’d done during their previous battle, she achieved what she so desperately craved.

“OHHHH FUCK YES!”

When the feeling hit, it was like a tsunami of pleasure hitting her from multiple directions. In one last overpowering motion, she drove her hips downward, getting Peter’s cock up into her as much as possible. Then, as she clung to his neck, she felt her inner muscles contract around his cock in an intense orgasmic release.

Her body shuddered, nearly every muscle in her lower body tensed. Hot waves of pleasure erupted from her core, enveloping her in a pool of bliss that was both invigorating and power. It was an intense orgasm, not unlike those she’d enjoyed with Selene’s perverse manifestation of Hector. What made the feeling more meaningful was that it hadn’t been given to her out. She seized it for herself.

_‘This feeling…this pleasure…is mine.’_

That simple notion, the idea of her owning a feeling that she fully controlled and had to conjure for herself, proved more satisfying than ordinary sex. It was both pleasurable and therapeutic, so much so that it might give her a full-fledged fetish for domination. Only in a place like the Hellfire Club could such an emerging kink feel so right.

She let go of Peter’s neck and lingered in the feeling, her face hovering inches from his. He was still so submissive, but he definitely noticed the greater impact of her orgasm. If he weren’t gagged, he’d probably crack a joke about how well she’d taken to dominating a man. That was probably for the best because Cindy wasn’t ready to come down from the feeling.

“That…was an act worthy of a powerful mistress,” she said, “one only possible with the aid of a responsible submissive.”

“Mmmhmm,” said Peter through the gag, dazed and amazed by her poise.

“Responsibility and effective domination go hand-in-hand,” Cindy went on, still drunk on orgasmic bliss. “To just dominate someone is crude and messy. To make them want to be dominated, though…that’s something far more powerful.”

Those weren’t entirely her words. She’d heard Selene Gallio echo that sentiment, albeit with different words and within a far less playful context. Cindy couldn’t undo what she and Ezekiel did to her all those years. At the very least, she could channel it into something else…something sexy, intimate, and enjoyable.

Having settled from her orgasm, Cindy rose up off Peter’s cock, which was now coated in her juices. He was still hard, thanks to the cock ring and the fact he hadn’t climaxed. Like a good submissive, she prioritized his mistress’ pleasure over his. Unlike Selene’s brand of domination, Cindy intended to reward that.

Still hovering over Peter, her knees now resting at his sides, Cindy retrieved a cup of hot candle wax that had been burning since before she took off her thong. When she held it up to Peter, she could see his face light up like a kid.

“I’ve seen what happens when someone dominates others through brute force. It’s not a pleasant sight,” she said, holding the melted wax up over his face. “Lucky for you, my willing submissive, I don’t seek that kind of domination. I want you to want this…to _crave_ my brand domination.”

Cindy then held the cup of wax over his chest. She could feel him getting more excited by the second. She even felt his still-erect dick throb and rub up against her butt. Mary Jane had told her that Peter _loved_ having hot wax poured onto his naked skin. It was one of his favorite kinks. The redhead even speculated that it made sense, given how much pain and guilt had affected his life. She’d claimed some of the most passionate sex they ever had was thanks to melted candle wax.

With that in mind, Cindy carefully held the cup of melted wax up over the center of his chest and carefully poured it onto him. His reaction was both immediate and intense.

“Mmmmm!” Peter exclaimed through the gag with surprising enthusiasm.

“You like that, don’t you?” said Cindy curtly.

“Oh yeah. He likes that…a lot!” said Mary Jane from the sex swing, the vibranium vibrator still inside her.

Licking her lips playfully, Cindy slowly poured out the rest of the wax over Peter’s exposed flesh, making sure every drop ended up on him. As the wax flowed over the sinews of his body, rapidly hardening in the process, she shuddered with excitement. Given how hot the wax was, there had to have hurt to some extent. Whatever the psychological factors might have been at work proved far more potent, though.

“You’re going to want me even more now,” Cindy proclaimed. “You’re going to crave more than you’ve ever craved anything before!”

“Mmhmm!” Peter replied, now drooling through the gag.

By the time the last drop of wax fell upon his chest, a good portion of his upper body was covered in hardened wax. As the substance clung to his skin, his manhood throbbed with greater intent. He wasn’t just aroused. He was _excited_ to be under her domination.

Grinning at her accomplishment, Cindy couldn’t help but share that excitement. That feeling quickly morphed into more arousal. Her pussy was still throbbing from her first orgasm, but she already craved another. With her submissive every bit as eager, she prepared for the next round of domination.

“I’m going to ride your cock again,” she told him. “This time, I’m going to look your lover in the eye and you’re going to admire my perky ass while I do it. Tell me you want that!”

“Mmf!” said Peter with an eager nod.

“You’re also going to come this time,” Cindy added, “and my pussy is going to milk you for every last drop. You’ll serve your mistress while vindicating your submission. Such are the fruits of true domination!”

Peter kept nodding eagerly, muffled moans echoing from the gag. He looked so eager for her pussy that he was ready to burst. She hadn’t seen a man that excited since her brother got his first laptop for Christmas. He impressed her with his ability to submit, but Cindy impressed herself even more with her ability to dominate.

Fueled and emboldened like never before, she shifted her body so that she faced away from Peter and towards the still-bound Mary Jane Watson. Still on her knees, her hips slightly elevated over Peter’s dick, she grasped the base of his cock to align it with her pussy again. As she prepared herself for more sex, her gaze narrowed on the Red Queen.

“Don’t you dare close your eyes or look away, slave whore,” Cindy told her. “You’re going to watch me fuck this submissive stud and you’re going to like it! Is that clear?”

“Yes, Mistress Moon,” said Mary Jane, still panting from the constant stimulation of the vibrator. “I promise…I won’t miss a moment.”

She almost sounded as eager as Peter. Then again, Peter told her that Mary Jane seemed to have a strange fetish of her own, one that involved watching superheroes get rewarded for their heroism. Whether it was her making love to Peter or helping one of the Avenger get laid, their pleasure became hers. That ensured everyone would be satisfied.

With the tip of Peter’s cock now rubbing against the outer folds of her pussy, Cindy drove her hips downward in a hard motion, pushing his rigid length up into her depths again. The penetration was even smoother than before, his member sliding effortlessly into her folds. A fresh flood of sensations shot through her. From there, Cindy began riding him again.

“Yes!” she moaned. “He’s inside me again. My obedient, submissive slave…so deep inside me!”

“I hope…you’re enjoying it, Mistress,” said Mary Jane.

“It does!” Cindy exclaimed. “It feels…fucking…amazing!”

Just as before, she unleashed a string of loud moans and profane words. Cindy didn’t surprise herself as much as before. She figured it was part of her new kink. She loved playing the part of a sex-crazed dominatrix and she loved being vocal about it. That was part of her persona now and she embraced it.

_‘I love this. I need this. The sex, the pleasure, the power…it gives me a strength I didn’t know I had…a strength I’ll need moving forward.’_

With that persona and the strength that came with it, Cindy rode Peter’s cock with a fervor that only a natural dominatrix could match. She was as through as before, skillfully gyrating her hips and working her pussy along his length. Every time she plunged down unto his member, she made sure her pelvis collided with his to make that distinct smacking sound of naked flesh. That intoxicating sound supplemented her moans and grunts.

“Yes! Oh yes! Fuck yes! Ohhh fucking yes!” Cindy exclaimed, not censoring the breadth of her lust.

Through such heated exertion, Cindy’s gaze remained locked with Mary Jane’s. By now, she’d probably had multiple orgasms, thanks to that vibranium vibrator still lodged in her vagina. It looked like it had become somewhat looser, most likely due to her juices and sweat degrading her webbing. She still had the look of a bound woman, at the mercy of pleasure and her dominating Mistress. It added powerful imagery to a powerful spectacle.

As Cindy rode Peter’s dick and took in Mary Jane’s reaction, the hot sensations of their sex escalated. With one hand holding onto Peter’s thigh and the other rubbing her clit, it didn’t take long for those sensations to intensify. She was already well on her way to another orgasm. In her excited, dominate state, it approach faster than she thought possible.

Unlike before, though, Peter was close as well. She could feel it in the way his dick throbbed inside her pussy. Thanks to the cock ring, it throbbed so hard that she could feel the veins and contours of his member slithering within her inner folds. She could also hear his moans getting louder through the gag. He was so close, but she sensed he still needed a push from his mistress.

“Mmf! Mmf! Mmmf!” Peter moaned, his body shifting more with each motion.

“You hear that, slave whore?” said Cindy. “He’s ready to come! And so am I!”

“I hear him, Mistress Moon,” said Mary Jane.

“Then it’s time! Come, slave!” she commanded. “Come with your Mistress!”

“Mmmhmmm!”

With almost supernatural timing – or possibly due to the connection from their spider sense, but that wouldn’t have been as sexy – she and Peter came. Being the dominant, she went first. Just as before, her pussy throbbed around his dick, squeezing it with her hot flesh. As intense surges of pleasure coursed through her body, she arched her back and squeezed her exposed breasts, even pinching her nipples in an erotic display.

That display was quite a sight for Mary Jane, but lost on Peter, who climaxed shortly after. Cindy felt his dick tense hard inside her before releasing a fresh stream of cum into her depths. It probably wasn’t as much as his first, but if the way his body shuddered were any indication, it was _much_ more intense.

“A good slave…a good mistress…coming together,” Mary Jane said. “What a beautiful sight.”

Cindy heard that remark, but didn’t care to respond. She just focused on soaking up the pleasure, the control, and the overall experience. It was, after all, one that she had controlled from start-to-finish. That helped make it both rewarding and satisfying.

For every blissful second of ecstasy, Cindy panted heavily as the hot sensations rippled through her body. Muscles throughout her lower body tensed and contracted, her control, lust, and strength taking on a tangible form. The feeling of Peter’s manly fluids mixing with her feminine juices made it that much more tangible. Like touching the strength and controls she sought, Cindy had completed the last leg of an arduous journey.

“You’ve done it, my submissive slaves. You have satisfied your Mistress!” she said.

“It was our pleasure…literally,” said Mary Jane.

It was a crude joke, one Peter would’ve probably made had he not been gagged. Cindy laughed anyway as she lingered for a bit longer before rising up off his cock and getting off the slave table. With a satisfied sigh, she finally came down from the overwhelming rush. After such an intense experience, she needed to catch her breath. She also needed to find time to untie Peter and Mary Jane.

Then, much to her chagrin, Peter freed his hands from the restraints on the table, easily tearing through the robes that she thought she’d secured. He even undid the ball gag with relative ease, casually tossing it aside. Mary Jane did the same, easily freeing her hands from the sex swing and removing the vibranium vibrator from her pussy. They were almost casual about it.

“Wow! That turned out even better than I thought,” he said as he adjusted his jaw.

“I’ll say! You’re a natural dominatrix, Cindy,” added Mary Jane as she wiped the webbing away from her inner thighs. “Even by Hellfire Club standards, you’ve got a real knack for kink.”

“Are you about to offer her a job?” teased Peter as he took off his cock ring. “Is a talented dominatrix really that hard to find in New York City?”

“You’d be surprised, Tiger.”

If Cindy weren’t still dazed from a multi-orgasmic experience, she would’ve been confused. Instead, she laughed to herself while Peter and Mary Jane undid the rest of their restraints.

“Wait…you guys could’ve freed yourself this _whole_ time?” she asked.

“Hey, it’s not like we used adamantium chains or something,” said Peter.

“And when you do as much bondage as us, you kind of have to know all the tricks and what not,” said Mary Jane. “Ideally, they’re not necessary.”

“And this was as ideal as we could’ve hoped for,” said Peter with a wide grin.

Cindy laughed again and shook her head in bemusement. They laughed as well, every bit as amused by her reaction. The idea that they – a couple who swapped lovers, hung out with other superheroes, and lived in a high-end sex club – knew how to free themselves from a bondage act almost made too much sense.

Once completely freed from their confines, Mary Jane walked over to Peter and pulled him into an affectionate embrace. She playfully traced her hand over the hardened wax on his chest as well, which Peter didn’t seem to mind. The two nude lovers looked as content as any kinky couple could be. They had built such an amazing, albeit unusual, life together. She still had a lot of catching up to do and that started with finding her family.

“You guys…I have a feeling I’ll be saying this a lot from here on out, but thank you,” said Cindy, no longer with the poise of a dominatrix. “You’ve done so much for me…more so than I ever could’ve hoped.”

“You mean you _weren’t_ hoping to take down Ezekiel, beat Morlun, and have all sorts of crazy sex?” Mary Jane teased. “You’ve got raise your standards, Cindy.”

“And we’re going to keep helping you,” added Peter. “That spider bit us. We’re responsible for what we do with that. That still doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun along the way.”

“No, it doesn’t,” said Cindy with a confident grin. “After all these years, I’m freer, stronger, and even sexier than I’ve ever been. Now that I’m finally in control again, I intend to use it!”

* * *

**THE END**


End file.
